Randy Man's Playbook
by BittyBlueEyes
Summary: A very unique book finds its way to the hands of Draco Malfoy - A book that, if utilized well, could help him fulfill his fantasies. A collaboration story with Aerinn Gwen.
1. Prologue

**PLEASE READ:**

**This story is a collaboration between myself and the incredible Aerinn Gwen. Half credit definitely belongs to her. Many thanks also to HG4Eva for beta reading.**

**This story is not canon. The war had not taken place and the setting is seventh year with all of our favorite characters alive and present.**

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Gold. Pure gold.

"No, better than gold," thought Draco Malfoy. Gold he had in abundance but this... this was one of a kind. It was something truly... what was the word? Priceless, a concept he had not come across before. With an almost giddy excitement flowing through him, Draco turned the pages, delicately yet hurriedly, as he scanned the handwritten pages and diagrams that were worn and stained with overuse. At first glance, he thought of the journal as "ratty looking" but, after reading the first couple pages, he called it precious. Precious, unique, informative, and his alone.. well, at least until graduation. That was the only devastating issue that he could see; it was only his from the beginning of his seventh year until the end. Hoping again that he had simply read it wrong, he returned to the letter at the front of the book.

_Randy Man's Playbook_

_Congratulations, dear bloke of loose morals, for you have just become the temporary owner of this most valuable and informative journal. It is my most prized possession and a secret legacy I leave behind for guys like yourself. Inside this book lie the secrets of perversion, a playbook as the title suggests. It holds everything from pick-up lines and ways to pleasure a woman, to potions and, my favorite, spells. In short, this book is the key to fulfilling your wildest fantasies. You can be sure that I have._

_FIRST THE RULES!_

_This book is for you and you alone! It appears in the floor boards under my old bed once every seven years, meaning that it only goes to the possession of a seventh year. The reason is simple, if word of these spells and potions got out, reputations would be destroyed and the spells and potions, once revealed to exist, would have counter spells and antidotes created for them. This book is exclusive and so the following rules and precautions have been put into place:_

_1. You tell no one about this book. If you do, it will vanish immediately._

_2. Do not speak of anything that you learn from this book. If you do, it will vanish immediately. This means, if your mate asks you what a clitoris is, you wait until after graduation to answer._

_3. Do not write about anything in this book. If you do, it will vanish immediately. Writing naughty words does not count, but if you try copying information or spells, the book will know._

_4. If anyone looks upon its pages except for you, it will vanish immediately. I highly recommend locking the book with a signature spell that only you can unlock._

_5. Upon your graduation day, this book will vanish and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. You will keep whatever knowledge you can retain by memory, but it will go into hiding for seven years, until the next randy seventh year stashes his naughty magazines beneath the floorboards under the bed._

_And speaking of naughty magazines, you can stop looking for yours. They are gone for good. The reason, dear Slytherin, is that real life is so much more fun. Go see the sights, experience the lust, and conquer the females of Hogwarts. They won't know what hit them._

_Best wishes,_

_Randy Man_

One school year. That was it. Well, if he wanted to get through everything, he'd best get started. Draco's smirk grew into a mischievous grin as he began looking closer at each page. Where to begin?

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**Please review.**


	2. Let Play Begin

**Many thanks to my co-writer Aerinn Gwen and our beta reader HarryPGinnyW4eva (HG4eva, for short). Many thanks, also, to those of you who have reviewed!**

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"Not bad... Nice! Meh... Oh God!" Draco grimaced and turned around in his hiding place near the stairs. That one he certainly didn't need to see. He really needed to learn not to be so hasty.

Taking care to be more selective, he raised his wand and with a tiny swish and a whispered spell, he Vanished the knickers from under Hannah Abbott's skirt. He watched with glee as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She had stopped suddenly in utter shock, and Draco quickly cast a supersensory charm - a spell that would allow his sight to wander to places that he couldn't see from his hiding place behind a statue near the main staircase. The place his sight traveled to just so happened to be under her skirt, and he gazed upon places which were always well hidden.

Unfortunately, the vantage point, despite the vanishing spell, was not what he had anticipated. With all the girls' legs being closed, he never really got the view he wanted. Still, it was amusing to see their reactions and a look at the girls' fine legs and a bit of their pubic patch was still somewhat arousing. Not to mention, it was surprising as well. He never looked at Hannah with interest of any kind, especially not _this_ particular aspect, but it turned out that the Hufflepuff had a nice set of legs.

He did have to be careful with his game though. Eloise Midgen had been his last victim and her figure was as hideous as her dog ugly face. He hadn't meant to ever vanish _her_ knickers, but made the mistake when he started to simply go after anything with a skirt. Yes, caution was a must. Not only did he make that mistake, he'd vanished knickers off a third year. As perverted as he may be, he had a policy not to mess with anyone under fifth year. He wondered if Randy Man and the other Playbook owners had similar policies. After carefully reading through the book, it seemed that Randy Man had very few, if any, inhibitions.

Randy Man... Draco still wasn't sure that he trusted him. That was the sole reason he was currently playing his amusing game. Amusement, rather than something salacious. Slytherins were known for their cunning, and Draco wasn't about to trust a handwritten spell book that just turned up under his bed. Though, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't a joke, he decided to start small – vanishing knickers. Harmless and simple. How hard could it be? With that small success, he decided that he might trust the book a tad bit more.

His thoughts were cut short as a groups of Gryffindor sixth years began descending the staircase. Perfect. With a sly grin, Draco waved his wand and four sets of knickers Vanished at once. Looks of shock and horror appeared on each one of their faces. The girl with long wavy black hair - he thought her name might be Romilda - even let out a shriek. Perhaps, four at once wasn't such a good idea. When it was performed one at a time, the girls looked around in embarrassment, not wanting anyone to know. These four girls were able to judge by their friends' reactions that they were not the only one. With a shrug of his shoulders, he cast the supersensory charm and moved from under one skirt to another. Sneering, Draco almost gave up. They were all clamping their legs together. That was until he happened to gaze upon the Weaslette.

Oh, Salazar! The Weaslette was even freckled and ginger down there. He closed his eyes to block the image, but back pedaled. She was different at least, and she'd have nice skin if it weren't for the scattered genetic defective spots called freckles.

"What in Merlin's name is this shrieking about?"

Draco cut off the spell and grinned like the cat that caught the canary. Snape. Snape annoyed by Gryffindors and inquiring about the situation. Could it get any better?

"Nothing," Ginny answered quickly. Too quickly as it made Snape even more suspicious.

"One doesn't scream without reason, Miss Weasley," Snape disagreed.

"I... We... Someone..." stammered one of the girls.

"Spit it out, Miss Seville."

"I said it's nothing," Ginny said firmly. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Professor."

Before Ginny could step away, there were two more shrieks from a new set of girls. Draco simply couldn't help himself from adding to the situation.

"Stop right there, Miss Weasley. Something is going on and you will tell me what it is," Snape persisted.

"It's personal," she replied.

"Then I shall _personally_ take ten points from Gryffindor from each of you."

"You can't do that!" Romilda protested. "It's not our fault that... that..." She sighed and resigned.

"This is great," Draco laughed to himself.

"Is there a problem here?" McGonagall asked as she came up to the group.

'Well, this is it then,' Draco thought. With McGonagall on the scene, it would soon be discovered that there was a pervert around, and he certainly wasn't going to be caught for this. With a self-satisfied smirk, he exited his hiding place and made his way into the Great Hall for breakfast. He scanned the hall as he made his way towards the seventh year Slytherins that were gathered together. It seemed that everywhere he looked, groups of girls were huddling together at their tables, no doubt discussing their lack of underwear. Most had gone back up to get a new pair, only to have them Vanished again on the way back down.

The entertainment value of this game was unbelievable. He'd have to play more often. In fact, he might extend his list of victims. With a mischievous smirk and swish of his wand under the table, Draco caused Neville Longbottom to jump and blush to the tips of his ears. Of course, Draco wouldn't dream of discovering the secrets of Neville Longbottom, not like they were even valuable secrets, but the way he stood stiff and frozen in the doorway of the Great Hall before running away? Entertainment value – Priceless.

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**Let us know how we're doing! Please review.**

**For those of you wondering about the title - Randy is another word for horny, lustful, or lecherous. **

**Oh, and it's June 5th 2012! Happy 32nd birthday, Draco! **


	3. Clever Opposition

**Many thanks to my co-writer Aerinn Gwen and our beta reader HG4eva. Many thanks, also, to those of you who have reviewed!**

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Damn Gryffindors. Damn bloody Gryffindors. He couldn't believe it. It was absolutely appalling. He himself, Draco Malfoy, was played by some stupid Gryffindors. Well, just one, if he correctly traced the rumor back to its source. Surely, that cheeky Weasley chit belonged in Slytherin. No, he'd never want a Weasley in Slytherin, but at least he would have seen it coming. He'd never trust a Slytherin without digging deeper and if it were a Ravenclaw, he might do the same, but he never imagined cunning and lies from the daft, self-righteous Gryffindor house.

Ginny Weasley. He'd heard it straight from her mouth, but never imagined that it would be a rumor she started. In the future, he'd be much more skeptical when eavesdropping on gossiping females.

_"Yeah, that's what McGonagall said. Perverted spells like these pop up every few years, but they usually find the guy in the end. The last one was expelled. Had his wand snapped in front of the entire school."_

It made him panic. He had been sure that he could use the Playbook without being caught, but after hearing that, he'd been terrified to try. That fear caused him to ignore his urges to test more spells for two whole weeks. He even resisted brewing a simple potion If it weren't for his insistent curiosity and incredible research abilities, he might never have discovered that they were lies. There was no mention of any student being expelled for sexual harassment, or anything even close to that reason. In fact, there were only three students expelled in the last century. That's not to say that no one received detention for sexually related pranks - he didn't know - but he was sure that he could continue without being caught.

No, after discovering that it was a rumor to deter further pranks, Draco decided that it was time to step up his game. Next victim? Ginevra Weasley.

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Priceless. He used that word quite frequently now. There were just so few other words to describe the bliss he felt. Sweet Salazar, it simply couldn't get any better. The idea had come as a stroke of genius, inspired by Ginny's friend and dorm mate, Romilda Vane. It was no secret that she had a thing for love potions and there wasn't just one in the Playbook, but three. After a quick scan through Randy Man's suggested brews and an easily concocted potion, the oblivious Weaslette was completely enamored with their greasy-haired Potions' professor.

Draco found it hard to breathe through his laughter, but he was not alone. The entire Great Hall was engulfed with laughter as the red-faced ginger wept openly at the Gryffindor table. Poetry on the Potions' room chalkboard was funny enough, but what just took place was possibly the most hilarious thing he'd ever witnessed.

Ginny Weasley had entered the Great Hall and strolled directly up to the staff table, stopping in front of Professor Snape, who looked nothing less than furious.

_"You're a heartless man, Severus Snape. We could be wonderful together if you would only admit it to yourself," she'd said loudly enough for the entire hall to hear. It wasn't difficult, for every student went silent to witness the exchange._

_"Miss Weasley, take your seat or leave this hall immediately!" Snape ordered._

_"No, not until you speak to me properly. Not until you hear me out."_

_"Don't you think you've lost enough house points and received enough-"_

_"You can give me detentions until I graduate and take every single point from Gryffindor, but it won't change the way I feel about you! I love you. You're such a beautiful person. There's no possible way that I could ever live withou-"_

_"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall started with concern, moving towards her distraught student._

_"It's okay, Professor," Ginny assured the baffled teacher. "I'm okay. H-he just needs time to think it through. And you will," she said, addressing Snape once again. "You must, for I cannot survive without your love."_

_Sniffling and allowing the tears to fall, Ginny turned and sat herself among Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. Professor McGonagall moved to follow her, but Dumbledore stopped her. _

_"It's okay, Minerva. I believe Miss Granger already has exactly what Miss Weasley needs."_

The hall immediately burst into raucous laughter and McGonagall pulled Snape aside, surely to scold him for the way he had handled the situation. Honestly, though Draco admired his head of house, couldn't care less about how the man reacted. He only had eyes for his victim and her intense grief.

There she sat, the biggest joke in the school, weeping for unrequited love, a love that wasn't even real. Ron Weasley's fists were clenched as he told off his little sister. Potter looked just as angry, but not with his girlfriend. He was busy scanning the tables for the possible perpetrator. Granger simply looked distraught as she tried to talk her friend into drinking the proffered potion.

Draco knew when he made the potion, that he wouldn't get to enjoy it's effects for too long. As soon as they discovered it was the work of a love potion, an antidote would be procured. Know-it-all Granger probably started working on it just after the atrocious poem. It didn't bother him in the least. The damage had already been done, his revenge delivered. Ginny Weasley would think twice about creating rumors.

Quite suddenly, the Weaslette leapt from her seat and rushed out of the Great Hall with a fresh spate of tears and a look of utter horror. Apparently, Granger's antidote had worked.

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"I'm going to find out who did it; I swear I will," Ginny declared vehemently as she walked down the hall with the Golden Trio, who were trying to keep up with her swift gait.

"Malfoy. It'd be just like him-" Potter started.

_"It's just like Potter to suspect me first,"_ Draco thought to himself. For once though, he was right.

"Oh, stop it, Harry," Granger interrupted him. "You always think it's Malfoy, whereas I highly doubt it. He's a cruel git; that's for sure, but this isn't like him. This is obviously revenge for the rumor to deter the pervert. Malfoy's not smart enough to come up with those spells and I can't imagine him ever brewing a love potion. Not to mention, he hates Muggle-borns and 'blood-traitors'. Why would he be interested in what's under their skirts?"

Draco was immediately insulted by the comment on his intelligence or lack thereof, but it transformed into amusement. He may dislike Mudbloods and Blood-traitors, but that had nothing to do with appreciating what they physically had to offer. Lust knew no boundaries. Apparently, the prudish Mudblood didn't know that and threw the group off their suspicions. Brilliant.

Still, following after the group on their way down from Charms, he'd expected a more animated conversation to eavesdrop on.

"Hey, Weasley!" Zacharias Smith called across the hall. "'Snape, Snape, Severus Snape, I'm stuck on you like spell-o-tape!'"

A large smirk fixed onto Draco's face as she glared at the Hufflepuff. The entire school seemed to be quoting the Weaslette's god-awful poem. It had been copied down by a Slytherin girl in the same Potions' class and passed around the school for all to see.

"'My lust is hot like boiling water, You're sexier than Harry Potter!'" a group of girls chorused from further down the corridor.

Seriously, Draco couldn't imagine a worse poet. It was complete rubbish, but that only made it funnier.

Ginny's fists were clenched, her right hand around her wand. "I swear, when I find out who did this, I'll kill him!"

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**Now, I know you're all waiting to see Draco take an interest in Hermione. I'm sorry you haven't seen it yet. I swear it will come. We just couldn't make this _too_ easy for Draco.**


	4. Narrowing Possibilities

Bored. Bored and frustrated. How on Earth could he be bored and frustrated? With Randy Man's Playbook in his possession, Draco should have been the most pleased and satisfied person in the school. The reason he wasn't, he once again blamed on the damn Weasley bint. He'd underestimated her reaction to his revenge. He had expected fury, but not the determination that she had to find the perpetrator. The red-headed harpy was staring down every male in the school, stalking and interrogating some that looked too suspicious.

Draco wasn't afraid of her, per say, but he did go back to being cautious. Overly cautious. Every evening he sat on his bed, hidden by his bed curtains, and read through the Playbook. He needed to find something that would raise no more suspicions. There were several that he could have chosen from, but he was so sour that he wasn't using the more physically satisfying ones that he ignored the lesser.

A chorus of guffaws momentarily broke him from his thoughts and he glanced across the team showers where Crabbe and Goyle were laughing at their new young keeper, who seemed to be shivering. Draco didn't even have to ask. It was Crabbe and Goyle's initiation - a warm shower turned suddenly to cold slush. Some might argue that as team captain, it was his place to do something, but he didn't care in the least. In the past, he himself probably would have orchestrated something for them, perhaps more creative, but it just seemed droll. He didn't want to mess with his teammates, didn't even want to head practices; what he wanted was a girl.

Randy Man's Playbook was supposed to be the answer to his dreams and fantasies. He was desperate to mess around and get laid. Really laid; not like what happened between him and Pansy. Merlin, that had been a soul-crushing disappointment. "Get the girl wasted," Pucey and Montague had advised him. Yeah, Pansy and Draco both got wasted. He could hardly keep it stiff and she passed out part way through. She didn't even remember in the morning, so he didn't tell her. What a first time experience... He wanted a do-over, but for that he needed a girl. He needed to forget about Hogwarts' general female population and focus in on one. The problem was: which one? He had gotten a peek under most girls' skirts, but it wasn't the view he'd hoped for.

A yelp and the sound of taunting by the benches pulled Draco's attention again. All six of his teammates were snapping each other with towels. How droll.

"Don't hurt the new kid too badly," Draco admonished. "We have practice again tomorrow and he's going to need to be able to move properly."

The third-year, rather than look appreciative, gave his teammates a smug look.

"He can still function if his arse is tender," Draco added. "Don't need that to block goals."

The third-year's eyes widened. Draco turned from the scene and towel-dried his hair, blocking out the shouts and howls of laughter. He was in a room filled with naked blokes when all he wanted was one nude female. Draco paused as an idea struck him. Why settle for one nude female when he could get a good look at them all?

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Sweet Salazar, yes. Draco's latest choice in spells was far more rewarding than the silly Vanishing Knickers charm. It was more salacious and had a near zero percent chance of being caught. Starkers Vision - that's what Randy Man called it. The name was exactly what it said it was. One could see directly through all layers of clothing without Vanishing a thing.

Draco sat at the Slytherin table with his eyes on the door of the Great Hall. He chose a seat near it, yet far enough down that people wouldn't likely notice him unless looking directly at him. Even then, his line of sight was natural; it wouldn't draw any suspicions if he kept his eyes on the door almost the entire time. His eyes were practically glued on it.

He'd arrived at breakfast early that morning so to get a good seat and also to get a look at as many girls as he could. The exercise that morning was, unlike the Vanishing Knickers, was not a game so much as an assessment. Draco wanted to move on from the general female population and focus on one girl. The question was: which girl?

Sex and intimate play was coming, but he'd have to work up to that and he didn't just want to select a girl at random. It was far too risky and he didn't want to make a choice that looked appealing at first glance only to be disappointed when clothes were stripped.

Susan Bones. She was an example. Despite being Hufflepuff, Draco considered her one of the more beautiful girls in school, that is, he had before. She had great eyes, a pouty lip, hair that'd make any girl jealous, and a sway of her hips that caught just about every boy's attention. Once uncovered, she was far too skinny for Draco's taste, and much to his surprise, she stuffed her bra. It was the most unbelievable concept to him. She actually placed something in her bra that made her breasts appear larger than they were. It was mind blowing. He'd never considered the possibility, but it appeared that many girls did. Well, many of the younger girls did. It was mostly second and third years, girls that were just beginning to develop and want the boys to start taking notice.

Yep. That was where the spell went wrong. There was no selection of targets with Starkers Vision. He saw all underclassmen and blokes that walked through the doors, but his attention never lingered. Skipping right over all undesirable figures seemed to happen automatically.

During a lull of traffic, Draco turned his attention back to his breakfast and his tactical selection of girls. The first that had come to mind were the Greengrass sisters. It was an unspoken agreement amongst the male population that both Daphne and Astoria were two of the most beautiful girls in school. On top of that, the fact that they were Slytherin was appealing. It was also what got them crossed off the list.

Slytherins were out. They were proud, cunning, vindictive, and easily offended. He knew that he could make it happen with one of them, but at what cost? No, Slytherins were dangerous ground. Still, the image of the sisters sauntering in side-by-side that morning would be good material for a wank later.

The Patils. They were another set of bodies he'd love to get become better acquainted with. The delectable expanse of copper skin that stretched over a perfect set of curves, their dark exotic eyes, and the teasing hidden smile in the corners of their mouths. Merlin, if only Parvati wasn't a Gryffindor... He couldn't have her. She was a gossip that lived in the den of self-righteous prats. There's no way it wouldn't get out after just one encounter. Her twin sister, Padma, of Ravenclaw, would be a serious consideration if it weren't for the fact she was identical. One mix up with Parvati would mean that scuffle with the pride of lions.

Draco was starting to get frustrated. No Slytherins and no Gryffindors. Half of his choices plus Susan Bones and Eloise Midgen were out of the running. His cock was beginning to harden as more and more tempting bodies streamed into the hall, but every single one was crossed off the list for one reason or another. Many of them were simply because he just didn't want them. His hopes had been high, but these girls, no matter how pleasing on the eyes, he just couldn't imagine having a go at. He wanted passion and excitement and none of his options gave him that spark of desire he was looking for.

His frustration was quickly turning to silent fuming, but it all swept away in an instant. Draco paled and gagged, ready to spill his breakfast. He'd stopped being careful again and it made him wish that he'd never cast the spell in the first place. Professors McGonagall and Sprout had just stepped into the Great Hall, giving Draco a full on view of their wrinkly, saggy bodies. He could and had tolerated a lot for the sake of the sexy girls that walked in, but this image was scarring. They were downright disgusting. He'd turned away immediately, but the vision was still there in his head and he was ready to retch. Leaping from his seat as soon as the Professors passed him, Draco made straight for the door. Just as he was close, he stopped abruptly by another shock. Another set of feminine curves was blocking his path and they caused his jaw to drop. If there was a standard for perfection, this body was it. Legs for days, a set of hips that begged to be clung to, a stomach that begged to be kissed, and the most perfect set of breasts he'd ever laid eyes on - not too large or small, perfectly rounded with pert nipples that stared right at him. He'd never been so tempted to reach out and palm them, just to see how they fit in his hands.

Draco squeezed his eyes closed tight and felt ready to retch again. Granger. Who the fuck would expect that Hermione Granger was hiding all of that beneath her school robes and frumpy Muggle attire? Salazar save him. Why did it have to be Granger? Anyone, but Granger. He desperately needed a wank after looking at that, but there's no way he'd allow himself to think of her while doing it. He desperately needed to pick a girl... and quick.

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**Patience, dear readers. I promise that interaction between Draco and Hermione is coming and though chapters aren't as frequent as I'd like, they're coming. **

**I had a hard time with this one. I wrote chapter 3 and didn't like it so I did it over, completely changing it. So... what do you think?**


	5. Target Acquired

'Granger,' Draco nearly snarled aloud as he glowered across the aisle at the girl one row in front of him. Sweet Salazar, she could be infuriating. He'd heard her muttering to her two dumb cohorts to ignore his taunts on many occasions, but there were times that she herself didn't and her cutting wit escaped. There wasn't a single person alive that could cut him like she did and it took everything in him not to hex her until she begged at his feet for mercy.

Draco gripped his wand in his right hand as he glared at the pompous bitch that was chatting amiably with the Patil twin that sat in front of her. It had to be Padma, the Ravenclaw twin, as Granger was the only Gryffindor that took N.E.W.T. level Arithmancy. It would be easy to tell she was a Ravenclaw if he spared a glance at her tie, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the smiling, bushy-haired brunette. The girl was completely unaware of the many flashes of possible revenge methods that were running through his brain. It was one simple remark, one that he was sure he was blowing out of proportion, but she aimed at the worst possible place - his frustration rather than his pride.

_"Hey there, Weasel," he couldn't help but taunt, as he passed her and Granger in the corridor. "How are things with you and Snape? Get into his bed yet?"_

_The redhead lunged forward, but Granger held her back. "How are things with you and your hand Malfoy? 'Bout the only action you'll ever get."_

She thought her snarky comment was nothing more than their usual style retorts, but she was right. Every day, a few times a day, he made love to his hand, and each time it became less and less satisfying. It was a guess on her part, his sex life not being common knowledge, but she couldn't have hit a more painful nerve. The nerve of her… It wasn't like she was getting any action either. Was she?

Draco's eyes raked over her body as he pulled his classroom supplies from his book bag. He remembered quite vividly what she looked like beneath her school uniform. Did anyone else know? Could Granger possibly be getting action when he, Draco Malfoy, was not? No. Not possible. No one would be able to tolerate her uptight personality, even for the sake of her delicious curves. No, her hand would be her only intimate friend, too.

Draco's hands stilled as the thought set in. He stared at her openly, all signs of malice washed away by one tantalizing image. Hermione Granger… fingering herself. Did she? He thought most girls probably touched themselves, but not doing so could explain her stick-up-the-arse demeanor. You know… maybe that's just what she needed. The uptight swot needed to be pleasured… _played with_. Oh, and Draco loved to play.

Panic seized him for a moment as he considered his last thoughts. He needed to assess and confirm just what his intentions were. Hermione Granger was not going to be his conquest. The idea was sick… laughable. Until he could decide on his Aphrodite, he could find his amusement in Granger. No touching, just… teasing. Oh, the possibilities.

"…equations on the board. I expect the silence to continue as you work. There should be no need to seek help from your classmates as it uses your own personal-" Professor Vector stopped midsentence. "You're seventh years though, so I'll stop wasting breath like you're beginners. Well, don't just sit there staring. Get to work, everyone." Professors Vector brought her babbling to an end and Draco sighed. It wasn't the work, it was the way she continued to explain things again and again. Each and every class period that they worked with their personal numbers, she reminded them not to copy off of their neighbors. Yes, even as third years, they understood.

Personal numbers… Draco wondered for the first time…

It took only seconds to calculate that "Hermione" was a master 7. It was worth a chuckle to see just how perfect it fit her. Aloof, keeps to self, repressive, know-it-all, over-analytical. Oh yes, that repression would be challenged and he'd give her plenty to turn over in that brain of hers.

A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, but he quickly schooled his features to appear in concentration. His sly, inventive master 8 personality had a quick stroke of genius. With a hidden wave of his wand, his parchment of class work floated natural-like across the aisle toward the girl a row in front of him. Hermione looked down in surprise at the paper and immediately looked up to see who it belonged to. Draco scowled at her in irritation, as he would if his paper had accidentally slipped away, and slowly moved from his seat to retrieve it.

Hermione turned from her writing position to look down at him as her bottle of ink tipped and spilled over the side of the desk, coating Draco's parchment.

"What the hell, Granger?" Draco raged, shooting to his feet.

"I-I…" Her mouth hung open and she blinked in surprise and disbelief.

"Don't you dare fake surprise. You did it on purpose, you little bitch!"

"What?" her shrill voice replied with indignation. "Anyone with eyes could see that it was an accident. I just bumped the bottle with my elbow."

Draco nearly barked in laughter. Accident? Ha! Even she believed that she was at fault. The very idea that he would ruin his own work was too preposterous to even come to mind. But, that was exactly what had happened; with a little wandless magic, he had made Hermione appear guilty.

"Accident my arse! I saw you!"

"Then you saw it was an accident! I'm sorry, but shouting won't do anything. Look, at least you hadn't gotten very far. Maybe you can still remember some-"

She was indignant and apologetic at the same time, coming off as completely insensitive. Perfect.

"Yeah, let's see how much you can remember of yours," Draco interrupted. Without hesitation, he snatched a bottle of ink off of Padma's desk and deliberately poured it over Hermione's school work.

"That was ten inches of work!" she yelled, catching everyone else's attention. From the corner of his eye, Draco saw Padma inch away slowly from Hermione.

"Now you can find out how much of yours you'll remember," Draco drawled nonchalantly as locked eyes with the bushy-haired brunette. He could see the rage in her eyes.

"That's it, Malfoy!" Hermione reached for her wand and aimed it at his throat in a heartbeat.

"I believe I'm teaching seventh years, not first years. Put your wand down, Miss Granger!" scolded Professor Vector. It took Draco some effort to keep a scowl on his face when he wanted nothing more than to smirk at Granger's obvious embarrassment.

"That's ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin each."

"But Professor, Malfoy –"

"And," the professor continued as she gave Granger a sharp eye, "detention tonight for the both of you."

Hermione shut her mouth instantly. The disbelief she felt was clearly written all over her face. Granger and detention? It was practically unheard of.

"Now back to work. I expect all equations done before the period is over." Professor Vector returned to her desk, completely ignoring the two students that were glaring daggers at each other.

"Thanks a whole bloody lot, Granger," Draco muttered harshly.

"It's your fault!" she accused.

"You spilled ink all over my parchment first," he reminded. Tuning her out, Draco returned to his seat with a scowl on his face. On the inside however, he had a triumphant smirk. Perfect.

* * *

It was an hour after dinner in the Great Hall and Draco was back in the Arithmancy classroom for his scheduled detention. He masked his face with a dissatisfied expression while waiting for Granger.

"You're late," he commented as the object of his thoughts rushed into the classroom.

"Am not," she muttered.

"Tardiness isn't good, Granger. These books won't sort themselves."

"That's it? Arranging these books?" she asked hopefully. Though the pile looked daunting, Hermione was sure that she could have them organized in fifteen minutes easily.

"Sort them out as in _repairs_. They're old student books - stained, ripped, written in. We need to patch them up."

She groaned and approached the towering stack of books, trying to keep as much distance as possible between Draco and herself. They got to work immediately. Draco stole sideway glances at her once in awhile and reveled in her discomfort due to their close proximity. It was fifteen minutes before the silence broke.

"What's that?" Draco asked, his eyes darting to a piece of paper Granger grasped within her hands.

"Some rubbish I found between the books." Granger was a terrible liar.

Rolling his eyes, he returned to flipping page by page through the text books, before returning them to the shelf on the side of the classroom. He did, however, catch Granger reading the paper she'd called rubbish. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion before she shoved the paper into her robes and continued with her task.

"Hey, Granger."

Her eyes snapped up at him and her look of annoyance was immediately replaced by shock. He saw her jaw drop and her cheeks flushed red.

"Wh-what, Malfoy?"

"Having speech disabilities now, Granger?" he drawled. She tried to look positively put off, but she failed miserably.

"What's wrong with you? You're looking weirder than normal."

"N-no, I'm not," she squeaked.

"You're flushed and you breathing is shallow. If I didn't know better... Oh, Merlin, I know you have athing for books, but you don't get off on stroking them, do you?"

"No!" she said defensively.

Draco gave her a click of his tongue and went back to the books. Granger was certainly feeling off; not just off, but flustered, embarrassed, and completely confused. And how did he know? Simple. He cast the Starkers Vision Charm on her right after she read the piece of "rubbish". The very same piece of rubbish he'd planted in between the books for her to read. He wrote some random Latin words on it to make it look like a spell, but Granger didn't need to know that. All she needed to think was that reading the spell gave her one hell of a view of a naked Draco Malfoy.

As they continued arranging the books, Draco purposely leaned over to grab a book. His torso hit Granger's shoulder and she looked at him furiously before looking away shyly. Her expression was priceless. He gave her a scowl.

"You're in my way, Granger. Will you pass the darn book?"

"Get it yourself, Malfoy," she hissed, maintaining her gaze on a very dusty and old book.

"Fine." He leaned over further, making more contact with the already flustered brunette, causing her to turn a few shades redder. His body brushed against her shoulders and her hand, and he felt her breathing become uneven. He grabbed the book, returned to his original position and went about his task again. Draco could feel Granger's attempt to ease away her discomfort, but he didn't miss out on her staring at him every now and them. Thank Merlin for Quidditch.

As the number of books left to arrange reduced, Granger started working at double speed.

"What's the rush, Granger? Can't wait to get back to your beloved Weasel?"

"He is not my…" she paused as her eyes glanced over his body, "my beloved Weasel. I just can't stand another moment here with you!"

"Mhmm. I'm sure," Draco replied.

The silence returned. The books were thinning out and Hermione grabbed the last book quickly and arranged it accordingly. She grabbed her bag and shot out of the classroom in seconds. Only then did Draco allow himself a huge grin. Granger would never know what hit her that night and she would never look at him the same way either.


	6. Pleasant Dreams

_This is getting ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous and it needs to stop now_, Hermione thought to herself, as she sat up panting in bed. The first few dreams she'd had made her blush, but this... Her heart was racing and she was having a hard time catching her breath. This had to stop.

It was that stupid spell, the spell she had found during that detention with Malfoy. When she'd read it, Malfoy appeared nude. Completely nude, but had seemed unaffected by it. In her insane curiosity, she had made herself brush against him just to find out if he was indeed still clothed. Despite him appearing in the altogether, he'd been fully dressed. The spell had worn off by the next time she'd seen him, but apparently, and unfortunately, it seemed to have planted uncomfortable thoughts in her subconscious; thoughts that her subconscious played out for her through dreams.

It started out as simple curiosity. Her first dream had placed her back in detention with a real, truly nude Draco Malfoy. Cocky as ever, he had accused her of staring, and even more, of desiring. She'd insisted that she was only surprised. She knew he was slender, but she had never imagined his thin frame to be so muscular.

_"I need to keep fit for Quidditch," Draco explained. "Seekers tend to be smaller as they need to be quick and agile, but they also need control. Disciplined to perform precise, perfectly controlled movements" - he stepped toward her as he continued speaking, stopping with their bodies only inches apart, - "and power to execute just as I desire." _

Even now, days later and in a waking state, Hermione could practically feel his breath against her ear as he spoke the word 'desire'.

And that was exactly what she seemed to be experiencing - desire - and it made her sick. Since that damn incident in detention, she couldn't look at him the same. She couldn't keep her eyes from doing a quick wander up and down his body. She stopped as soon as she caught herself, of course. It was just... What was wrong with her? She should have gotten over it. He wasn't the first male she'd accidently seen in the buff, but a week later, her thoughts and, oh god, _fantasies_ had only gotten worse... much worse.

The dream she had just awoken from had her heart still pounding. She already had a difficult time looking at Malfoy without thinking of her dreams. How in Godric's name was she going to ever sit in the library without that fantasy coming back to her?

_It's just a dream. It's just a dream,_ she reminded herself as she slowed her frantic heartbeat. "Oh, but it felt so real," she whimpered in frustration. She was glad that she'd long before cast silence barrier charms on her bed curtains. She could only imagine what she sounded like.

It was just a dream, but it felt so real that Hermione, in her dazed state, had to find proof to convince herself.

_It was late at night and Hermione's favorite corner of the library was bathed in the golden glow of a single oil lamp in the middle of her table. Her eyebrows rose and fell, switching between looks of intense concentration, pensive consideration, and extreme exhaustion. Several times her eyelids slid shut, but the furious scrawl of her quill never stopped. It was like she was possessed, either that or she had simply grabbed a hold of a magical quill. Clue number one that it was a dream - the length of her essays were notorious, but she had never come close to the sixty foot long monstrosity that was unfurled over the desk and run down one of the library aisles. _

_"In need of some company?" a seductive whisper breathed in her ear. Hermione immediately came across more proof of the dream - her outfit. She had snuck into the library in her pajamas on a couple occasions, but never in the nighty she wore in the dream. In fact, she was quite certain that she had never owned any silky garments of such a design. _

_"What are you doing here, Draco?" she spoke breathily as she stared at his bare chest and silky forest green boxers._

_"I told you I'd come," he reminded her with a seductive smile. Hermione sucked in a breath when she felt him step up behind her. Her eyes closed as her mixed anxiety and anticipation skyrocketed. "Come here, Granger."_

_There was the next clue – she'd obeyed. When he offered his hand, she gently placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her to her feet. The space between them closed, her front held flush against his by the light, natural pressure of his hand upon her hips. The black satin fabric of her nighty brushed against his silk boxers and she became very aware that it was only those two garments and her matching panties that separated their bodies. _

_"You seem nervous," he observed. A slight nod was her only response. "I promise I'll be good," he breathed against her neck. His warm breathed tickled, but his lips alighted to cause a brand new sensation. A tingling feeling swept through her and she silently pleaded for him to do it again. He smiled against her skin, knowing exactly the feeling he was causing. His smugness faded as he breathed in the scent of her skin. More kisses followed where the first had fallen, soft and gentle, they followed a trail up to her ear. She gasped sharply as his tongue flicked her earlobe. _

_"Oh, Granger, the things I want to do to you. The feelings I want to help you experience," he whispered. "Let me."_

_"Yes," she breathed her reply. _

_As wild and far-fetched as the dream had become, it was becoming increasingly difficult to call it a dream. Every breath, every caress, felt more and more real. The way his hand moved up her sides, the sharp pain and pleasure when he tweaked her nipples and massaged her breasts. _

_"Oh, Draco..." she whispered. _

_His lips gently pressed against hers and she moaned into the kiss. _

_"Do you like this, Granger?"_

_"Yes," she answered breathily. _

_"Meet me again?"_

_"Yes."_

_His hand moved slowly up the inside of her thigh, not in progression of the moment, but as a good-bye, for when his hand had made it to her panties, he was gone and she was alone in her bed._

"Not real... just a dream. Thank the founders, just a dream."

* * *

"And then she said that he just found it. Just found it sitting there. Can you believe that?! It's ridiculous! The very idea that..."

Draco sighed inwardly as he blocked out Pansy's rant. He wouldn't argue that she was positively brilliant at times, but she could also be completely exhausting to be around when she prattled on with her gossip. Not that gossip couldn't be handy, but the happenings of others was the furthest thing from his mind in recent months. In fact, in recent weeks his mind seemed consumed by one thing and one thing only. Draco cursed under his breath as he and Pansy entered the prefects' lounge, for there before him sat his obsession.

"Draco?" Pansy stopped her incessant chatter and looked at Draco in confusion. "Drake? You alright?"

Draco stared straight ahead at the girl seated on the antique sofa and glared. Why did she have to be sitting there? Of all places, there. His heartbeat increased and he sneered in disgust. He was disgusted with her, as usual, but far more disgusted with himself.

"Dra-" Pansy started.

"She's sitting in my seat," Draco grumbled, covering for the way he was staring at the mudblood. It was the truth that she was sitting in the seat he usually took, but it seemed that a fifth year had taken the seat that Granger, head girl, regularly used for these meetings. She would never have taken that spot otherwise.

At least she looked uncomfortable. She sat on the edge of the sofa with her back straight, hands folded in her lap, and ankles crossed properly.

"You're sure you're feeling okay, 'Mione?" Weasley asked with concern.

"Yes," she answered in agitation. "Now that we're all here" -she glared back at Draco and Pansy - "we can get this meeting started."

"Yes," Ernie Macmillan, head boy, piped up. "We have many things to discuss. First-"

Draco immediately drowned out the pompous Hufflepuff and quietly seethed in his seat. He couldn't look at her, but he couldn't shake the thought of her sitting in that spot; the location of they're last dream. It was his fault, he knew, but it killed him to admit it.

The dreams, every single sensual dream, were his doing. The spell was easy enough, daydreams for him and proper dreams for her, but the images and daydreams brought on by the spell were far too difficult to forget. It was for her, he reminded himself; he was doing it to fluster Granger. It was Granger's reaction that was to entertain him, not the fantasies.

Lies. All lies. As much as he wanted to deny the truth, it was too big to ignore. He was obsessed. It started out as amusing. Granger, though she tried her hardest to refrain, stared at him often. In class, in the corridors, even at that very moment, he felt her stealing glances. Many times she scowled, but still her eyes raked over his body, undressing him with her mind and studying his features one by one.

That's what did it to him, he decided. How could he forget the dreams himself when she looked at him the way she did, with heated desire like she did in their fantasies?

He couldn't restrain himself any longer and directed his gaze in her direction. She quickly turned away, but he continued to look, his eyes lingering on her hands as she twisted them anxiously in her lap. He remembered the feel of those hands. He remembered the feel of those lips. He remembered the feel of the velvet sofa against his bare back...

_"Remember - next prefects meeting Thursday the 4th at eight o'clock!" Granger called out above the chatter as the prefects filed out of the lounge. She finished gathering her notes and started when she looked up and noticed Draco standing there. "Something I can help you with, Malfoy?"_

_"You know there is," he replied. _

_"Y-you... W-we can't," she stuttered nervously. "We can't anymore. W-we... I've had enough."_

_"Relax, love. I was talking about patrol duties." His smile was soft and though the conversation was casual, his voice was deep and seductive. "I want Saturday night. Tell Weasley to take my Friday."_

_"Why do you want Saturday?" she inquired anxiously._

_"Why do you think?" He stalked forward, his heated gaze moving up her body and stopping when he met her eyes. _

_"I-I patrol Saturday. Draco..."_

_"Say it again." _

_"What?"_

_"My name," he purred in her ear. A gentle kiss upon her neck caused a shiver to ripple through her._

_"Draco," she breathed as his hands ran up her sides, "we can't. I won't."_

_"Won't you?" His lips pressed against hers and she inhaled sharply through her nose. She would. She knew she would. After only a short pause, she responded to his kiss. Starting gently, but firmly, passion and desire soon transformed the kiss into something deep and desperate. She couldn't deny him. She didn't want to. She wanted him desperately and she could already feel his desire for her. _

_Letting go of her inhibitions, Hermione pulled him with her toward the sofa. Without breaking contact, Draco sat upon the worn and faded velvet and pulled Hermione onto his lap. Hands could not be satisfied in their roaming pursuits and before Hermione could raise any objections, he rid her of her blouse, leaving her proud Gryffindor tie hanging between her lace covered breasts. _

_Surprising them both, Hermione allowed her desire to lead her, divesting him of his own buttoned shirt and tossing his tie across the room._

_"Gods, Granger. You're sexier than I ever imagined," he managed between fervent kisses. _

_"I want you," she admitted, pulling his body to cover hers. Her soft hands moved down his chest and chiseled abs, before traveling further to cup his growing erection through his trousers. "Tell me you want me, too."_

_"Gods, Granger," he panted. "I shouldn't want this." _

_His sense was bleeding through the fantasy. This was Granger. This was just a game. He could feel his erection through the haziness of the daydream._

_His breath hitched as her deft hands unbuckled his belt and tugged at the button of his trousers._

_"No... Sweet Salazar, no." Draco coughed when he pulled himself suddenly out of the spell. It was too real. Too real. Too hot. Too... just too much. He was going too far. She was right; he wanted her. He wanted her far more than he should._

He wanted her far more than he wanted to admit. The problem was - what was he going to do about it?

"And that concludes this meeting," Granger announced as she finally stood, removing herself from the sofa. "Make sure you all have a copy of the patrol schedule before you leave. Let me or Ernie know if there are any discrepancies. Remember - next prefects' meeting Thursday the 4th at eight o'clock!"

Draco looked down in surprise when Pansy handed him a copy of the schedule. Oh, this was too perfect to pass up.

"Go on, Pansy. I've got an issue to take care of," Draco smirked.

Hermione looked up in surprise when she saw that Draco was the only one left in the room.

"S-something I can help you with, Malfoy?" she asked, looking quite distressed as she experienced déjà vu.

"You know there is," Draco responded with clear memory of the fantasy. He watched as Hermione swallowed hard, her hands visibly shaking. He could practically feel her heart pounding in her chest from across the room. "Patrol duties. I want Saturday. Tell Weasley to take my Friday."

"W-why?" Her lip was then trembling and she failed again to restrain her wandering eyes as they very briefly flicked to his trousers.

"Why do you think?" he paused for effect. "Slytherin's got Quidditch practice on Friday evening. I know you've got the Quidditch schedule. One would think you might have purposely scheduled me Friday."

"O-oh. Right. I-I just forgot to consult the Quidditch schedule. I'm sorry... I just. I've been distracted lately and... and..." Hermione shook her head trying to clear it of the confusion of the déjà vu. That's what it was, wasn't it? She'd had so many fantasies lately, she was bound to confuse things with real life. _Dear Merlin, give him the patrol he wants and get him out of here, Hermione,_ she told herself.

"Saturday is fine. You can take it with Pansy and I'll take Friday with Ron," she declared as she made note of the changes on her own schedule.

"Perfect. Much better to keep the Weasel leashed to you than make poor Pansy suffer."

"Goodbye, Malfoy," Hermione answered tersely.

Draco smirked and left the room with a swagger in his step. No more denying it, he decided. He told himself long ago that attraction didn't know prejudice and he'd just have to accept it. He wanted Granger and she was now his true target. No more games. He was going to have her. He just needed to prepare her for it.

* * *

**So very, very sorry that it's been so long between updates. Unfortunately, real life is getting in the way of writing for both Aerinn Gwen and myself. Nothing worse than real life getting in the way of fiction, but we hope you understand. **

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	7. Advanced Summoning

"Ginny! Ginny!" Hermione cried out as she made an awkward jog through the students in the corridor. "I just heard," she said as she met the ginger-haired girl and her pace.

"Yeah, it's spreading quickly as always." Ginny's lips were pursed in bitter frustration.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked with concern.

"My pride stings a bit... Still, not as much as my knuckles do," she replied honestly.

Hermione glanced down to where her friend was ruefully rubbing the knuckles on her right hand. It may have been to sooth the ache, but it looked menacing. Passing students' curiosity was turning to concern and wariness.

"The worst part," she continued, "I still don't know who the pervert is."

"It wasn't Michael Corner then?" Hermione's eyes widened, realizing the implications. Poor Michael.

"I know what you're thinking, and I'm not sorry. The arse has had it coming to him for years. The fact that he's not the pervert doesn't change that."

"I doubt Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore see it that way..." Hermione said, tentatively opening the subject.

"Four detentions and they're not letting Madam Pomfrey heal my hand. Worth it, I swear. He may not be _the_ pervert, but he's still a pervert."

"What happened then? Ron said he was caught with three pairs of..." Hermione leaned to the side and whispered the word, "panties."

"Framed," Ginny grumbled, looking even more bitter. "I didn't believe it, but McGonagall reminded me that he's ghastly at charms and even worse at potions. He quickly offered up his wand for examination, too. They looked displeased to see some of the hexes he'd recently used, but there was nothing incriminating."

"So you really believe it's not him?" Hermione looked crestfallen as she inquired.

"Not because examination of the wand, but because it seems that there's not been any reported missing knickers lately, but I just... I don't know. It's not him. I just know it's not. Whoever it is, they're trying to throw me off. Too easy that I just happened to be there to see. He looked even more stunned than I did." Ginny glanced at Hermione and continued, "I know I was hasty. I still don't regret it."

"No, it's not that. What do you mean that no one's reported missing knickers?"

"Just that. I've been asking around and no one seems to have had their knickers vanished or stolen in a weeks. Don't worry. That's not stopping me. I know he's still out there. I'm sure he's not done. I can't tell you how I know but-" Ginny stopped in her tracks and stared at Hermione as it dawned on her. Hermione wasn't just concerned; she was anxious. She was hiding something.

"Hermione Granger, you're not wearing knickers, are you?" Ginny's expression was one of mixed shock, concern, and annoyance.

"What?" Hermione looked around to make sure no one had heard. If they had, no one seemed to care. "What? No. I-"

"You're lying to me. Why are you lying to me? I can see it now. The way you've been tugging at your skirt and wearing full school robes more often. It's happening to you regularly, isn't it?"

"I...I..."

"Why haven't you told me? You know I'm trying to find this guy. Now I have to wonder if others are lying to me and hiding things from me. Why?"

"I don't know. Just because it's embarrassing, I suppose. I also thought that it was still happening to others. Could it really just be me?"

Ginny's annoyance vanished and a hard look took its place. "No. I won't let you be a target," she fervently declared. "I'll find him. Write down all the times that it's happened to you and where you were. Do it soon and get it to me. I'll match it with everything else I already know and I'll find this guy." Ginny unconsciously rubbed her knuckles again, looking far more menacing than before. "And hide nothing, Hermione. If you want this guy found, you have to tell me everything." At that, Ginny picked up her pace and practically stormed off to her next class.

_Everything?_ thought Hermione. Her anxious eyes turned to the school bag slung over her shoulder and her hand covered it protectively. She feared "everything" would be too much for her to reveal, especially the lacy undergarments that had appeared in her bag. Her knickers were still vanished regularly, but for the past couple weeks, each time, a skimpy pair of panties appeared in her bag. Godric, how could she have believed that every other girl was receiving the same treatment? Someone was messing with her and possibly her only. Was it just for a laugh? Could someone really be so cruel? Or perhaps... No. There was no perhaps.

The question was, what was she going to do about it? With an exasperated sigh, she made her way to the girls' bathroom to put on the lacy red panties. She may dislike them, but she simply couldn't think straight when she was walking about with nothing under her skirt.

* * *

Plain, boring, white cotton knickers.

Draco held the offending garment before his eyes and shook his head as he stretched the waistband. The witch was stubborn. This was the twelfth pair that he'd collected off Granger's body and replaced with sexy lace in her school bag. Twelve pairs of white cotton knickers. She had to be purchasing more, for who would ever need a dozen pairs of boring white sensibility.

She was stubborn. Obviously she didn't appreciate his diligence and all the hard work he'd put into the execution of the spells. Vanishing knickers wasn't his goal here, he was collecting now. Collecting required summoning, and if he didn't want her falling on her arse while her knickers flew across the room into his hands, he needed to use an _advanced_ summoning spell; a summoning charm that didn't require an item to travel a distance, but to appear directly in the hand of the caster. It took him a week of practicing on his own boxers and a lot of uncomfortable wedgies before he felt confident enough to try it on Granger. Yes, he considered testing on others, but the risks were too high, especially considering that the she-weasel was now investigating more deeply.

Was he concerned? Not really. Framing Michael Corner may not have been successful, but he knew that Granger wasn't forthcoming with information and he'd messed with no other girls in recent weeks. The nosy ginger had nothing to go on. Not so long as Granger kept her lacy panties to herself. If she was keeping them at all.

"She'd better be," he grumbled quietly to himself. Another thing she probably didn't appreciate - the money he spent on all the lingerie. Unlike her, he spared no expense in outfitting her with proper intimate apparel. The issue he had was that he wanted to see her in it. But, if she was stubborn... so be it. With a smirk, he wadded up the white cotton and stuck it in a hidden pocket deep in his school bag. If she really wanted her sensible knickers, he'd just have to give them back. The fact was, she soon wouldn't trust a single pair.

* * *

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	8. Charming Knickers

Draco finished performing a complicated wand movement and quickly stuffed a piece of cloth into the pocket of his trousers.

_This is going to be it,_ he thought to himself. After two previous plays, he'd finally get to watch the effects that the spell worked. He already knew it worked, but this time he'd be present. This time things would get interesting, for the piece of cloth in his pocket wasn't just any piece of cloth; it was a swatch from Granger's sensible white knickers. Not just any swatch, but a patch about four inches in length that had once covered her most intimate place. It wasn't a piece of cloth; it was a toy, just like his dear Granger. Now it was time to play.

Slinging his school bag onto his shoulder, Draco exited his dorm and made his way toward the potions classroom.

* * *

"Miss Greengrass, take your seat. Wands away," Professor Snape said in way of a greeting as he swept through the classroom to take his stand before them. "Today's potion is on the board. I suggest you begin immediately if you wish to finish before class's end."

The class momentarily stared at the long list of instructions on the board before shaking from their collective daze and rushing toward the supply cupboards. Draco, for his part, stood calmly at his desk, using his newly perfected advanced summoning charm to collect his own ingredients, some coming directly from the hands of his classmates. He smirked as he watched Potter's face when the scarhead noticed that the porcupine quills he'd just collected were gone. The imbecile had no idea and simply blinked at the empty bowl before beginning to search the floor. He'd never suspect that they were already being crushed by Draco's pestle.

"Ten points to Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said quietly as he looked proudly down upon his star student. Draco smiled in return and continued work on his potion. If he could just get past the beginning steps, he'd have some time while it simmered. Oh, whatever could he do in that time? His grin widened and he gently tipped the powdered quills into his cauldron.

"Draco?" Pansy asked a short time later, looking at the desk behind her and down into the blonde's cauldron. "It's better to dice the chomping cabbage than slice, isn't it?"

Draco held up his finger in gesture to wait as he counted stirs in his head. "Yes," he answered when he got to his fifteenth clockwise movement.

"Drake? What are you doing over there?" Pansy asked as she tried to peer over the desk between them.

"It's simmering as it should, Pansy, now back to your own or you'll miss your next cue."

Draco began moving his fingers in a delicate motion, circling in a counter-clockwise direction, only his movements had nothing at all to do with his simmering potion. Upon his lap, Draco was rubbing the small piece of cloth, his eyes firmly glued to the squirming Gryffindor across the room. Just as he was congratulating him on his obvious skill, a desperate and frustrated whimper sounded through the room.

"'Mione?" Weasley's hoarse whisper followed. "You alright?"

"Miss Granger, is there a problem?" Professor Snape asked petulantly.

"N-no, Professor, everything's just... " Granger squeaked out the word, "fine."

Snape eyed her dubiously.

"J-just not feeling... Just feeling... off."

_Poor Granger_, thought Draco as she looked around the room with panicked eyes. He almost felt sorry for her. He might have if he wasn't aware that it was overwhelming pleasure that was affecting her. With a smirk gracing his lips, he stopped his circling, pressed firmly against the cloth, and watched as Granger shot out of her chair. She covered quickly by pretending to examine her simmering cauldron. Draco pressed again and followed with more firm circles, watching as she squirmed. Taking her seat again, she crossed one leg over the other, squeezing her legs together in effort to stop the relentless torture she felt of invisible fingers massaging her in intimate places. An anguished moan escaped and she leapt out of her seat again.

"I'm not well, Professor!" she shouted suddenly. "My potion's done. I just have to -" Granger's sentence was cut off by a gasp and without further explanation, she ran from the room.

Draco's malicious grin was stuck firmly and it took more patience than he thought possible to wait the few extra minutes that he did. He scooped some of his potion into a vial and approached Snape's desk. "Sir, may I please be excused to use the bathroom?"

Snape's eyes narrowed as he considered Draco's cocky grin. His dark eyes looked from the door where the bushy-haired Gryffindor fled only two minutes prior and back to the young man before him. "Just... stay out of trouble."

"Of course, sir." Draco couldn't hide the swagger in his step as he walked out of the classroom. Snape had no idea what he was up to, but the message was clear - Don't get caught.

* * *

Hermione panted as she raced and stumbled down the dungeon corridor. The sensations coursing through her body had not ceased and she found it difficult to walk upon her jelly-like legs. She sobbed in small relief when the door to the girls' bathroom came into view. As fast as she could manage, she rushed into the room and threw the door closed, locking it behind her. With intention of splashing her face with cold water, she made her way to the sinks. The sensation, however was getting more intense. Without hesitation, she slid her knickers down her legs and threw them across the room. They weren't the pair of knickers that the pervert had returned to her, she was smarter than to use those again, but somehow he was managing to use her brand new knickers against her.

Hermione gasped again. It hadn't worked. "It's not the knickers," she whispered in a panic.

"No, it's not," Draco replied as he entered the restroom and locked the door behind him.

"How are you doing this?!" Hermione panted.

Draco let out a bark-like laugh. "How? Let me ask you first, how long did you know it was me?"

"Two days ago." She continued to pant as the gentle massage continued. "My dreams suddenly started causing orgasms. I woke up during the last one and the sensations continued. Dreams of you... I just... God, just... just... how are you-?"

"How?" Draco began pacing in front of her, his hands behind his back, never ceasing his ministrations while looking casual, if not cocky. "Interesting response. You don't ask me why or threaten me, you only ask me how. My question to you was going to be why you haven't told anyone when you knew it was me, but I think I already know the answer... you like it, don't you?"

Increasing pressure on the swatch of cloth once more, Draco slowly approached her. Bracing herself against the sink, Hermione whimpered again.

"The truth is, Granger," he spoke quietly and seductively as he moved to stand directly in front of her, pinning her against the sink, "I like it, too. Only, I want more." Draco shoved the fabric into his back pocket and his hand dove between her legs. He smiled broadly when he discovered her knickers had already been removed. "Secret is, so do you, hm?"

Hermione pressed herself back against the sink, startled at and adjusting to the feel of human contact over the magic. The effect was far more intense.

Draco lost his smile as his heart began to race. As cocky as he appeared, he was suddenly frightened out of his skin. It wasn't just play now, no matter how much he wanted it to be. She wasn't just a target, she was the soft skin and patch of hair beneath his palm. She was a real witch and he was really touching her. If this didn't go well...

Draco rubbed gently against her soft curls before slowly parting her lower lips and sliding one finger along her folds. In his mind every piece of her was labeled just as the images drawn in Randyman's Playbook. Every bit had a name and every part loved to be stroked just so. The book told him as much as it could, but was quite clear that every witch liked to be touched differently.

Draco's fingers continued their study as his eyes studied her face for its reactions. Her eyes were squeezed closed and he looked quite panicked when he saw that she might be uncomfortable, or worse, like she was held against her will. He paused his ministrations, ready to Obliviate and run, when she pressed back against his hand and moaned. Not anguish. The book talked about this. Concentration. Yearning. This was a good thing. She was enjoying it.

"Draco, no..." she whimpered.

Draco questioned himself again, but saw that he wasn't wrong. She wanted him, he knew she did. It was the only reason she'd allowed him to touch her in the first place.

"Be careful saying that, princess. I know you don't want me to stop and if you say it again and I just might have to."

Hermione pressed again against his fingers and whimpered.

"Tell me the truth now, Granger. Do you want me to stop?" Draco leaned forward and flicked his tongue against her earlobe before purring in her ear, "...or do you want the dream?"

"Say it, Granger, or it stops now." His fingers stilled and his heart raced. She had to say yes. He'd worked so hard to get to this point. She just had to-

In a movement that surprised even Hermione herself, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into a fierce and desperate kiss.

Consent.

Draco immediately rewarded her by slipping one of his fingers further into her wet folds and up until his digit was completely sheathed by her liquid silk walls. She moaned against his lips and her desperate hands roamed up and into his hair. Thank Merlin he'd been right. Without pause he circled his finger around inside her, slid it in and out a couple times, before returning to tease the sensitive nerve of her clitoris. She was getting close, he wasn't sure how he knew, but he did. He'd been teasing her since the classroom and she'd been getting more and more frantic since. He again teased her insides and she moaned in desperation. She was close. So close. After just another few swirls around her clit, she shuddered. This was it. Draco thrust two fingers into her while his thumb kept pressure on her throbbing clit.

Draco watched in awe as she came undone in his hands. He'd seen it in dreams, but it was nothing to real life. She was gorgeous, and he himself... he was incredible, and he knew she knew it. His fingers stilled when she did and slowly he removed them from beneath her skirt. Her head rested against his shoulder as she tried to catch her breath.

"Sexiest thing I've ever seen," Draco admitted in a whisper against her neck.

Hermione stiffened suddenly. She remembered herself. She remembered him. This wasn't a dream and the realization of what she'd just done was crashing down on her. He knew it would eventually.

"Don't fret, love," he continued to speak quietly, so as not to break the moment, "I'll give you no reason for regrets."

Her head snapped up and she looked at him with a tortured mix of emotions on her face. She couldn't believe what she'd just allowed; what she just participated in.

"No regrets, Granger," he said again. "I found that most enjoyable, as did you. You'll want more. I already do. The easier you accept that, the more pleasure will come."

"Dra- Malfoy... we... I-I... It was a lapse in judgment. I just-"

"Tell yourself what you will. I already know." Draco sucked one of his fingers clean and moaned at the taste. She smelled just as she did in all of his dreams. "Mmm... pleasant dreams, Hermione."

With those as his parting words, Draco unlocked the girls' room door and left her there to think. He had his own issues to deal with, namely the throbbing ache in his trousers. He'd collect his things from potions later.

* * *

**Things have definitely heated up in this chapter. Please let us know what you think. **


	9. Enough

_She's so predictable,_ thought Draco as he stood in the doorway of the prefects' lounge. Only two days after the last prefects' meeting and here she was putting together the patrol schedule for the next whole month. For someone who was avoiding him so avidly, she picked quite a predictable public place, almost as easy as checking the library.

"Hello, Granger," he greeted as he swung the door shut behind him. She stiffened in her seat and sat motionless for a moment before responding.

"Get out, Malfoy," she said firmly.

"Prefects' lounge, Granger. I have every right to be here."

"I said, get out!"

"Now, now. You said if anyone had any discrepancies to come directly to you. That's precisely what I'm doing. Taking it back because of personal reasons, that's not very professional," he smirked.

"The schedule is perfect. I gave you-"

"It's not the schedule I'm having problems with; it's you. For a man who's done nothing wrong you've-"

"Done nothing wrong?!" she shouted incredulously. "You! You! What you've done-!"

"Was encouraged by your silence and participation, which you cannot and do not deny."

"It was still wrong. So wrong," she said, unshed tears gathering in her eyes. "I was..."

"There's nothing wrong with what we did. Two consenting people looking for pleasure and finding it in one another. You enjoyed my advances and you enjoyed the experience that-"

"And I don't anymore!" she interrupted him fiercely. "So you can stop pursuing me. Don't seek me out, stay out of my dreams, and leave me alone. I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play, but I'm done."

"Quite a lot you just said there. I wonder if you mean it all. I'd think someone so fierce in her protests would have sought me out to request that I stop, rather than avoiding me like a plague."

"You're as dangerous as..."

"My charm, perhaps," Draco replied with his returning grin. "You don't fear me. You fear that you might give in again. Give in because it's so tempting... because it's something you want."

"I don't," she fervently declared.

"Oh, but you do."

"Get out."

"Back to that again?" Draco chuckled.

"Get out!" Hermione raised her wand and, in her anger and frustration, sparks shot from the tip.

"Alright, Granger, I'll back off if that's what pleases you. I'll give you some time to think things through. Just know... It's _you_ that I want. No other will do. I'll wait."

Draco's eyes swept over her body and he left the room with a smirk of satisfaction, satisfaction that he didn't feel in the least. He may have been able to keep up the facade of haughtiness, but that didn't mean he wasn't disappointed. He knew this would happen, had been prepared for it before he even made his move in the bathroom, but it didn't sooth the impatience he felt. How long would he wait? Well, he'd been patient before, he could be patient again. From their last experience, Draco was certain of one thing - she was worth it.

* * *

Malfoy kept his word. Hermione, though she had hoped, could not believe that after all he'd done, he would simply stop when asked. Then again, she had no idea what his motivation was in the first place. Of all the girls in the school, he wanted her, just her; he'd told her so. But, who was he to be trusted? Why was she even wasting her time thinking about him? It was done. All over. For the last five days, she had not been under the influence of any of his spells. No dreams, no secret magical pleasure, no vanished knickers, and no sexy lingerie appearing in her school bag.

It was done.

And yet it wasn't. She couldn't simply shake the thoughts and images that still played out in her mind. She couldn't pass him in the hallway or sit in the same classroom as him without looking twice, and in a manner that she'd rather not. Then, there were her dreams. She knew they were not being influenced by a spell, but it didn't mean that Draco wasn't still making appearances. They were average dreams, nothing sexual, but he was always there and with that seductive look in his eye. In her last dream, they were having an argument and while she fumed, he sauntered small circles around her, purring his arguments and wrapping her hair around his finger.

That's what she was, wasn't she? He had her wrapped around his finger. That's what he wanted anyway. He said he'd wait. He said he'd let her think and that's all she seemed to be doing. The only problem was, she wasn't thinking right. She thought again and again about their sensual dreams and their encounter in the girls' room, but where were all of the thoughts that she was betraying her friends? Ron and Harry hated Draco from the first time they met and Ginny... Merlin, Ginny was victim of that love potion. It was Draco's fault that she endured the humiliation in front of the entire school. Ginny was searching hard for the perpetrator and Hermione wasn't saying a thing.

Yes, of course she thought of her actions as betrayal. Yes, she berated herself for it, but those thoughts were automatic. They didn't wear on her or weigh her down as they should. Her thoughts were still filled with longing.

"Sick, Hermione. You're just sick," Hermione grumbled under her breath as she began her walk from Gryffindor Tower to the Arithmancy classroom.

_It's been too long_, she justified. That had to be what it was. It'd been almost a year since she and Ron broke up. It must just be that it had been awhile for her. When one longs for sexual attention, even creeps like Malfoy start looking okay. No, she wasn't fooling herself; she knew she couldn't justify her longing with that. If her past relationship with Ron did anything to her sexuality, it wounded it. The snogging had been...nice, but when they took it further, it's when they realized that their relationship was doomed. For all they'd tried to make it, the attraction was forced and the passion... lacking.

Draco. He was everything she'd hoped for in her experience with Ron. Passion, longing, excitement, absolute desire and desperation. When she closed her eyes she could still feel his breath on her ear and imagine the movements of his fingers.

_Betrayal!_ she reminded herself. _Utmost betrayal._ She'd not think on it. No more. She had plenty of other concerns without worrying about Draco Malfoy.

"Oh God!" Hermione exclaimed as she entered the Arithmancy classroom. "Finite incantatum. Finite incantatum!" She blinked several times at the students in the classroom before turning her back on them. Turning, however, brought her face to face with Malfoy.

"Afternoon, Granger," he greeted.

"Out!" She ordered as she shoved him out into the corridor.

"Problem, Granger?" he smirked.

"Change them back," she demanded.

"Change...?"

"The spell Malfoy! They're all naked. _You're_ naked! Turn it off!" she hysterically pleaded.

"Hmm... let's see if I can remember that countercurse..." he said, pensively tapping his chin. "You know-"

"Stop playing games, Malfoy. Today's my class presentation. I can't go in there and stand in front of-"

"Exactly," Malfoy interrupted. "I knew you'd be nervous, so I thought I'd do you this favor. What's the most common suggestion given to someone that needs to speak publically? Envision the audience in their underpants. I did you one better."

"Don't pretend this is a favor, Malfoy! This is sabotage! It's going to hurt my grade if-"

"Tell you what. If you're still nervous up there, just seek me out in the crowd."

"And how will that help?!"

"Just might," he smirked. "I'd really give it a try, if I were you."

"Stop it, Malfoy. You said you'd stop." Hermione's nostrils flared. She'd begged in her panic, now she was going for fierce.

"I said I'd give you time to think," he reminded her.

"Malfoy, if you don't stop-"

"No, you've got it all wrong. Threats don't scare me. What you should be saying is 'If you stop, I'll...'. Well, I'll let you fill in the blank."

Hermione stared at him with her mouth open in surprise. That little ferret!

"I want you, Granger. It's that simple, really."

"Malfoy, listen to me. This is really-"

"You've got my attention Granger, but I've stopped listening at this point." His grin widened as he looked her over from head to toe. "Again, I suggest focusing on me. I assure you, I'm easiest on the eyes."

Without allowing her time for more arguments, Draco turned the corner and sauntered into the classroom, taking a seat in the direct center.

Hermione leaned around the door frame and peered into the classroom where she saw a group of girls casually holding conversation, all while appearing without a single stitch of clothing. Even the clip holding Daphne's hair back wasn't visible to her. A small string of expletives slipped through Hermione's lips in a quite mutter. She'd been working on her project for weeks and now that she finally had the opportunity to present her findings, she'd have to do it naked, in front of her naked peers. True, they weren't actually without clothes, they just appeared so, but it was distracting to say the least. But she could do it, she decided. It might be uncomfortable, but she could ignore it. Of course she could. She wouldn't let Malfoy get the best of her!

* * *

She was wrong. She'd cracked. Given the floor, Hermione stood before her peers and stuttered and sputtered for words, trying to remember even the major points of her project while keep her eyes directly on her display poster and deliberately off of any of the people in the room. Avoiding didn't help though. She could practically feel their nudity, regardless of how superficial it was. She'd hardly begun, but was near tears when she finally decided to look up. That's when her eyes landed directly on Malfoy. There he sat, casually reclining with his feet up on the chair next to him, looking both smug and amused. But there deep beneath, she caught a glimpse of it... his insecurity. That's what this spell was all about. Yes, he always wanted her to look foolish, but that wasn't what he was trying to accomplish. Quite obviously, he was comfortable with his looks, but he was concerned that she wasn't looking. The whole point of it was to make sure that she hadn't forgotten the temptation. Did he really think that with five days without his interference she'd forgotten? Apparently so.

A smile slowly spread across her face at the realization. Draco Malfoy, cockiest arse she'd ever met, was depending on her reactions to sustain his ego. Each calculated move he made seemed arrogant and daring but beneath, he was desperate for her to react as he intended. She'd not told a soul about anything he'd done, but she _could have_. He seemed so sure of himself in the girls' room, but was he? She was starting to have her doubts.

Hermione watched as Malfoy's brow creased with worry and confusion. It was then that she realized her smirk. What started small only grew until she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. The absurdity of the entire situation with Malfoy, paired with her obliviously naked classmates, was suddenly ridiculous.

"Miss Granger? Is there something wrong?" the professor asked with concern.

_Don't look at her,_ Hermione reminded herself. "I apologize, Professor. I was, er, _am_ a bit nervous..." She tried to explain but had no idea just how to justify her poor performance. Her smile vanished instantly and her gaze fell to the floor.

"Say no more," the professor replied. "It happens to the best of us. Just take a deep breath and give it your best."

Hermione nodded to herself and took a deep breath. She could do this. As she had already decided, she wasn't going to let Malfoy get to her. Looking up at him, her eyes told him just that. Whatever he had planned, it simply wasn't going to work on her. With renewed confidence, Hermione completed her presentation, all with a hidden smirk intended for one scowling blond.

* * *

Draco left the classroom in a huff. _Where did that cocky little witch disappear to?_ he wondered as he searched the corridor. Just what was she smiling at? Looking at him like he was a joke? He'd show her amusing. He sneered angrily when he didn't see her. _The library,_ he thought. He wasn't going to just let this go. Just as he began storming down the hall, he felt a tug on his sleeve and was yanked into a nearby classroom.

"Turn it off, Malfoy," Granger demanded.

"We've been through this. You're supposed to say, 'Turn it off and I'll...'."

"Piss off! You're delusional if you think I'd offer you anything like you're suggesting. I'd never touch a slimy worm like you!" she vehemently declared.

"Not the impression you left a few days ago," he replied, making no effort to hide his bitterness.

"It was a mistake. Worst mistake of my life."

"Keep telling yourself that, Granger," he scoffed.

"Look, I don't know what kind of loose bimbos you've had in the past, but I'm not going to be some easy conquest of yours."

"Believe me, Granger, you've been anything but easy. I've never expected you to come sauntering into my room in all your naked glory."

"Bollocks! If that's not what you want, just what are you alluding that you want me to offer you?"

Draco paused and stared directly into her chocolate brown eyes. It was a fair question. What was it, exactly, that he wanted? He wanted her, but what did that mean?

"Whatever I can get." Draco shoved her against the wall and fiercely pressed his lips against hers. He was not deterred when she failed to respond and almost cheered when she returned it. Only it turned out she hadn't really. Her lips were shoving him away, as was the rest of her. She was stronger than she looked, he decided when he stumbled back a step. Before he could see it coming, her hand lashed across his face.

"You bitch!" he spat, bringing a hand to his stinging cheek.

"Turn it off, Malfoy!" she demanded again, keeping her eyes on his, so not to look at his nude form.

Draco growled in response. "Brightest witch of her age, are you not, Granger? Figure it out yourself."

Without looking back, Draco thundered out of the empty classroom, leaving a flustered Hermione behind.

* * *

**Please review, you lovely readers. ^^ **


	10. Turning Tables

"Hermione!" Ron called across the common room. "Where've you been? We've been waiting for you for ages."

Hermione sighed as she looked over at her two friends who waited by the fire. After hours of watching people walk past her nude, she was relieved to see them appear completely clothed. It'd taken her most of the afternoon in the library to finally find a spell similar to Finite Incantatum, that would cease the spell Draco had placed on her. _Bloody ferret,_ she thought to herself.

"I was in the library, Ron. You could have looked for me there if you'd wanted." Apparently, waiting while playing exploding snap was a better way of passing time.

"We were going to, but we kept thinking you'd be up any minute," Ron reasoned. "Have you finished your History of Magic essay yet? We were hoping you could help us with ours."

Harry turned his head, disliking being grouped in Ron's request, despite needing her help just as desperately.

"I finished mine days ago, remember? The same time I was urging you to work on yours?" she answered, heaving another great sigh. "Look, finish it tonight and I'll look it over tomorrow. I'm far too exhausted to do it tonight. In fact, I'm headed to bed." Before either could respond, Hermione headed toward the girls' dorms, uttering her goodnights over her shoulder.

The day had been emotionally and mentally exhausting and it was all Malfoy's doing. If the prat knew what was good for him, he'd stay away from her dreams that night.

* * *

He didn't stay away. Almost as soon as Hermione had laid her head on her pillow, she fell into a deep sleep; a deep sleep filled with dreams of another's concoction, and he was not happy.

"Granger," Draco growled, pushing her up against a bookshelf in her own dorm.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" she gasped.

His mouth was by her ear as he spoke in a low dangerous voice. "You anger me, Granger."

"I-"

"You've no idea what I've put on the line for you."

Hermione gasped again as he nipped none too gently at her neck. She was about to protest when his lips delicately sucked and kissed away the pain.

"Weeks have now turned into over a month since I began pursuing you. Every waking moment I think of you. The disgust I've had to grapple with... The chances I've taken in you not squealing to anyone..." His hands were rough as he tugged her shirt from her skirt and began rubbing them over her stomach.

"Why me?" she asked finally, doing nothing to stop his advances.

"Gods, Granger, I've asked myself the same thing time and time again. You're the one though. I've looked at every girl in school and you're the one."

"I'm a muggle-born. Doesn't that-"

"I want you," he growled, ripping open the front of her shirt. Hermione gasped at his ferocity, but felt a delicious ache of desire growing inside her.

"I-I... I don't think I can do this though," she admitted quietly. "I'm not like you, Draco. I've never casually..."

"Not like me? Granger, you want it just as bad. You can't keep denying that." His hands moved upward, palming her breasts over her lacy green bra. "These dreams may be my doing, but you participate as well. This lacy green bra, as desirable as it is, is not from my imagination. The way you respond... that's in your control. If you want to stop this, then stop."

Draco's mouth moved to the exposed flesh of her right breast and began suckling. Hermione tried with all her might to pull her thoughts together, but as his fingers tugged the cup of her bra down to expose her breast, she found it increasingly difficult to keep her wits about her.

"I'm really not this kind of girl," she declared. "I'm not. Fantasies are different. I can't do this with you outside of them. The thought of being just another of your conquests..."

Her resolve was beginning to return, but collapsed instantly when his mouth enclosed her nipple. Draco pulled back suddenly however and his eyes were ablaze when they landed on hers.

"Another conquest?" He snarled, placing his leg between hers and pressing firmly. "Just how many of those do you think I've had?"

Hermione shook her head, unable to speak as she tried to understand his sudden fury.

"Conquests?! I wish! You've been the only bloody girl on my mind since the start of school. You guessed it right when you snipped that my hand is my only company. You're it, Granger. I've teased and pleasured you for weeks. Orgasm after orgasm for you, while I've got nothing but a wank to satisfy me. You tease and tease, while you accept my advances here and when I pleasure you physically or magically. Nothing but teasing, as I wait for something you tell me I'll never get!"

Draco ripped her skirt away to reveal a pair of lace panties to match her bra. "Green for Slytherin, just for me," he sneered, nipping at her neck again as his hand moved to rub her above the lace of her knickers. "You think us nothing but devious. If that's the case, perhaps it's the house you belong in. Gryffindor bravery is obviously not in you if you're too afraid to go after what you desire."

"I..."

"You know what?" Draco said heatedly as he pulled away from her suddenly. "I think I've had enough. If I really haven't got a bloody chance, then you can go fuck yourself. I'm done."

Hermione's mouth hung open as Malfoy vanished before her eyes. She stood there shell shocked, even in her dream. That day, for the first time, she had thought of him as possibly vulnerable, and this proved it to her. He had put himself out there even more than she had imagined and she, Hermione Granger, had actually bruised his feelings.

Hermione awoke and stared up at the canopy above her bed. Hurt his feelings? Was that really any of her concern? All of the advances he'd made were his doing. She couldn't help how she responded in her dreams. They were dreams, fantasies.

In real life, however, she should have stopped him the minute she knew it was him. She had accepted his advances, she realized. Still, she had no obligations to him! How dare he act as though she did! Devious? Her? He was the devious one.

_Bravery, though?_ she asked herself. Bravery to go after what she desired? Did she desire him? Searching herself for an honest answer, she was displeased to discover that she was truly torn. She did enjoy his attentions. She did enjoy his touch. She wanted more. What was stopping her? Her morals. Was it wrong? He assured her it wasn't, but what did she believe? If she were to consent, would it be wrong? It wouldn't be right... but perhaps it wasn't wrong either.

She was torn.

* * *

And then he stopped. Draco Malfoy, it appeared, had actually given up.

Hermione's heart, as troubled as it was, sank. She had become accustomed to his persistence and it wounded her to be tossed aside so easily. _Why?_ she asked herself angrily. He was perverted, intolerable, insolent, arrogant, and... cruel? _No, not cruel,_ she decided, _but definitely everything else._ And yet she still missed him.

The dreams had stopped, as had the magical caresses. He no longer sought her out in a crowd and resolutely kept his eyes off of her in class. And it hurt. How had she allowed herself to become emotionally attached to his pursuits? She wasn't sure, but she had.

The question remained - did she want him? His personality was flawed, to say the least, but that had nothing to do with it, did it? The question remained the same, did she want him? The answer? Yes. And that brought one last question - What would she do about it? Would she be able to commit any intimate acts with him? She had, but it was under what she considered extreme circumstances.

Her answer, as most did, came from the library.

* * *

Hermione Granger was a tease. Draco had declared it to her in her dream, but she had taken it much too far this time. If the way she had led him on before was cruel, he wasn't sure what to call her latest stunt.

He'd been avoiding her. He thought his frustration couldn't get any worse and so decided to call the whole bloody thing off. If his hand was the only pleasure he was going to get, then he'd stop his generous pleasuring of her.

The bloody minx was cruel. Devious and cruel. He had been diligent, his eyes never wandering until that morning she walked into the great hall in nothing but a set of lacy green panties and matching bra. Draco had to do a double take. It was almost exactly like the set she had worn in their last dream. He was sure he had lost it, but she stepped into the great hall and immediately looked over at him. It was real and it was for him. But something wasn't right. Hermione Granger was standing there in nothing but intimate apparel, showing her gorgeous curves to the entire student body, and no one else seemed to notice.

"That bloody bitch," he muttered. Pansy tried to speak to him, but he heard nothing. Not only had Hermione found a way to stop the Starkers Vision he'd cast upon her, somewhere in the space of the last six days, she had found a way to make her own similar spell to cast upon him. He didn't see her nude, something he was sure would be going too far for her, but he saw her and only her in her undergarments.

_Ignore it,_ he told himself. He'd given her up. Just like a drug, he'd been hooked and he was kicking the habit before it got worse. He'd ignore her as she had many times ignored him in the past. If this was revenge, she'd have to do better than that.

* * *

She didn't. She didn't have to. Hermione continued to use the spell over the next few days, each day donning a different set of lingerie, panties and bras that he had once been sneaking into her school bag. She was using his own tools against him. Despite his determination not to look, it was far too difficult not to. She had the most gorgeous body he'd ever seen. Perfect. It may not have been the type of body he'd seen in his naughty magazines, but it was perfect to him. Long toned legs, flat stomach, breasts just the right size, not to large or small, ones that fit perfectly in his hands. Her face, once childish with large teeth had transformed into one of a beautiful young woman. Deep brown eyes that shined with intelligence, the slightest pout to her soft lips, and the lightest smattering of freckles across her nose. How freckles could look good on anyone, he never knew, but they were sexy on her. Her hair, full as ever, had grown to hold more of a curl. If it were on the head of any other, it would look utterly ridiculous, but he had grown to appreciate it on her. Just another thing to hold onto as he was ravishing her.

He'd had enough. He'd had enough long ago, and he wasn't going to take it any longer. He watched as Hermione separated from her friends in the corridor, waving to them they went the separate ways. Seconds passed as he waited for her to come closer. As soon as she was within arm's reach, his hand darted out from the tapestry he was hiding behind and pulled her into the secret passage.

"Malfoy!" she squeaked in recognition as he slammed her up against the wall.

"What the hell are you playing at, Granger?!" he barked.

"I-I..." she stuttered. She'd thought about what to say to him for days, but now that she had him in front of her, nothing was forthcoming.

"Think you're so clever, using my own tricks against me? Trying to tease me? News flash, Granger, that's what I've imagined you walking around in since I started. The only thing you've managed to do is piss me off beyond-"

Draco's sentence was cut off abruptly when Hermione pulled him into a heated kiss. Draco questioned the situation for a mere second before he returned the kiss with passion. His fingers tangled through her mass of hair, as hers clawed at his back. Her mouth opened to him for the first time. While she seemed slightly hesitant, Draco did not hold back, caressing her tongue with his. Merlin, how he'd longed for this. This and so much more.

It hit him then and he pulled away. "What are you playing at, Granger?"

"M-maybe... Maybe it's not as wrong as I thought," she replied quietly. She reached up to brush his cheek with her trembling hand. Gathering her courage once again, she leaned in to kiss his jaw. Her whispered words sent shivers down his spine. "Meet me in the library tomorrow night."

"When?" he asked, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Just after ten."

"I swear, if this is-"

"I'll be there at ten, Draco. You can come if you'd like." Before she could take back her words, Hermione stepped out of the secret passage and continued to her class. Draco stood there for another few moments. He wasn't sure how much hope he should hold on to, but he didn't miss the way she called him Draco. It gave him more hope than he felt he should have.

* * *

** Thank you for your reviews! **


	11. The Library

"'Bout bloody time," Ron commented as he looked at his watch.

"Hm?" Hermione asked, her heart thudding in her chest. She knew exactly what he meant, but the time scared her.

"Ten o'clock. Patrol's over," Ron clarified.

"Y-yeah," she nodded anxiously.

"You alright?" he asked, as he curiously looked her over. "You look nervous."

"I am sort of," she admitted. "I know it's after curfew, but there's something I really need to check on in the library. I-it can't wait."

"What? You're going there now?" Ron looked at her with an expression of utter surprise.

"Not the first time I've broken curfew. I'll be fine. Just... I'll see you in the common room later... or tomorrow morning."

"Wow, you plan to be that late?"

"I don't know, honestly. I just... I'll see you later." Before she could lose her resolve, Hermione took off toward the library, her footsteps echoing in the corridor. The likelihood of being caught was extremely slim. She was the prefect on patrol, after all. Unless Filch, who was getting up in age, decided to randomly patrol himself, she should be just fine. Just fine... except for what she was about to get herself into.

* * *

Draco whipped around when he heard her approaching and masked his relief when she stepped around from behind the nearest bookshelf.

"I thought for a minute that you weren't coming," he stated stoically.

"Just finished patrol," she explained. "And I said I'd be here."

"For the reasons I'm thinking, I hope," he replied. "If so, nice selection in location. Always some of my favorite fantasies here."

"Listen, Malfoy, we need to talk this through first."

"Like I didn't see that coming," he muttered under his breath. Hermione didn't miss the roll of his eyes, shining bright as they were in the light of the lanterns they'd each brought.

"I've never done this kind of thing before..."

"I already told you that I haven't either," he reminded her.

"I'm still not sure I believe that. Awfully cocky for someone who's never... you know."

"When am I not?"

"Are you a virgin then?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"I did it once and I'd rather not talk about it," he replied bitterly. "What about you then? I doubt you're as pure as most people seem to believe. Krum or the Weasel?"

Hermione hesitated. It wasn't something she really wanted to discuss either, especially with him. But he did answer her with what she actually believed might be truth... "Ron, and I'd rather not talk about it either."

"That bad, was he?"

"I said I'd rather not talk about it," she repeated more firmly.

"So, what is there to talk about?" Draco asked, hoping to move things along a bit faster.

"I don't know. I don't even know what we're doing..." she admitted anxiously.

"Sex, Granger. I thought it was pretty obvious what I wanted."

Hermione's heart raced with nervous energy. "I don't think I'm comfortable with this... I don't... I..."

"I'm not looking for a relationship, if that's what you're thinking," he scoffed in disgust.

"Godric, no!" she agreed.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just... I don't know if I can do this."

She was fiddling with her fingers and closed her eyes when she saw him slowly approaching. Her heart beat even faster when she felt him standing just a few breaths away.

"Then let's not make this complicated. Let's just..." Draco gently brushed her cheek with his fingers and delicately placed his lips on hers, so as not to scare her away.

Hermione breathed deeply through her nose and began to slowly and gently return his kisses. It was far softer than anything they'd shared before, but not unlike many of their fantasies. As brusque as Malfoy could be, she couldn't deny that he could also be delightfully soft and tender. _A romantic?_ she wondered. That, she was sure she'd never know.

"No one can know," she spoke quietly.

"Just between us," he agreed.

Her hand was slightly shaking when she brought it up to caress his jaw. Her fingers stroked through his hair as the kiss deepened. How could she have doubted wanting this? An image of her friends popped into her head and she nearly pulled away. Instead she banished them from her mind and opened her mouth to Draco. Yes, Draco and not Malfoy, for that was who he was in her fantasies. Malfoy was the cruel boy that taunted her and sneered at the world. Draco was the boy that teased her delightfully and smirked only when he knew what pleasure he was causing her. Arrogant, the both of them, but this was the boy she preferred.

Draco kissed a line down her jaw and paused at her ear where he sucked seductively. "Tell me I can go further."

"Yes," she breathed her reply.

Their lips met once more. To his surprise, as he began to pull her shirt from her skirt, her deft little fingers began unfastening the buttons on his shirt.

_So, she is a willing participant._ Draco's hand moved under her shirt and rested on her waist. His thumbs rubbed circles over her hips as he waited for her to finish with the last few buttons. As soon as she had finished, she dropped his shirt to the floor, loosened his tie, and dropped it upon his shirt. The heat and desire burned inside of him when he saw how reverently she assessed his body and lightly moved her fingers over his toned muscles.

His hands moved from her waist to the hem of her shirt when he began to fiddle with the lowermost button. To his surprise, her hands pushed his away. He was about to protest when her lips alighted upon his collar bone. There, soft kisses turned to open mouth kisses. Daring lust was leading her, and Hermione's insecurities were suppressed as she made a trail to his nipple with her tongue.

Draco sucked in a sharp breath. Such sensations were brand new to him. Not even in his fantasies had she been so bold. As much as she participated in the dreams, they had all been about her. And Pansy... Draco shook the thought immediately. There was no Pansy. There was just Hermione and her skillful mouth. As she continued teasing his chest, moving on to his other nipple and abs, Draco felt a tug at his belt. The fast pace of his heart increased still more and he felt his already stiff erection jump in his trousers.

"Granger," he growled, unsure what he meant to say. Was he trying to dissuade her? Surely not. He desired her more than he could express.

"Let me," she whispered in his ear. It was then he realized that he was gripping her hands. It was true. He was hesitant. Why?

One hand still firmly holding his belt, Hermione used her other to reach down and rub his erection through his trousers. It was what he wanted, wasn't it? After all the teasing she'd done, whether intentional or not, he'd deserved pleasure himself.

"Let me," she repeated.

Draco nodded in reply. As her fingers worked his belt, his returned to her shirt and unfastened it as quickly as he could manage. Today had been the first day of the week that he'd not seen her knickers and he was dying to get a glimpse. He smiled when her shirt fell open to reveal a silk and lace bra of deep purple.

All thoughts vanished and he gasped as her small hand entered his trousers and rubbed him through the silk of his boxers. Finding the confines a bit cramped, Hermione removed her hand and pushed his pants and trousers low. For the first time, she saw him as he was, without a spell to see through his clothing. He felt smug, yet nervous, as she surveyed him. As confident a person as he was, Draco felt somewhat self-conscious standing still under her blatant assessment.

An angry comment was on the tip of his tongue when her hand gently wrapped around his throbbing member. He was firm beneath fingers yet incredibly soft to the touch. Her hand was still for a moment before she started gentle butterfly caresses up and down his length. Draco's eyes fluttered closed and his head tipped back as he savored her touch.

Hermione's chest heaved with desire as she watched his expression. Firming her grip just slightly, she pulled the skin back along his length and returned to cover the tip, the gentle glide sheathing and unsheathing him as she moved at a steady pace. He was beautiful and in their erotic act, he seemed even more so.

"Gods, Draco..." she breathed.

"Don't stop, Granger. Merlin, don't stop," he pleaded as he panted to keep his breath.

Of that she had no intention. Her pace increased and her grip became a little tighter as she pumped. His eyes squeezed tightly closed and his jaw clenched as he tried to keep himself steady against the powerful sensations coursing through his body. The increasing pressure built stronger and he felt a tightening in his scrotum proclaiming his finish before the spasm that erupted. He gasped and his eyes met hers as he ejaculated, his penis throbbing as wave after wave gushed upon her neat black skirt.

Hermione's lips were parted as she watched him in awe, the raw abandon with which he came. It was empowering to know she possessed the capability to undo him the way she had, but she could think only of his incredible body and its reactions.

Draco stared her directly in the eye as he came down from his high, breathing through his mouth and licking his lips as he attempted to catch his breath. She was staring right at him, as breathless as he was. In this, the aftermath, he wondered what she was thinking.

Realizing she still held him in her hands, she promptly, yet gingerly, released him. Her gaze averted, finding some random place at her right to focus on.

Dear god, not regret, Draco prayed.

"I..." she started, nervously wiping her hand upon the clean part of her skirt. "I should probably be going."

Her fingers were quick as she re-buttoned her blouse. Draco stared at her, blinking frequently as he tried to find the words to say.

"Granger... I..."

"W-We'll talk soon," she answered, wiping her hand once more. She nodded, unable to think of anything to add and made a hasty exit from the library.

* * *

"We'll talk soon?" Hermione repeated to herself as she began her trek up to the Gryffindor Tower. "We'll talk soon? Way to sound sexy and in control," she berated herself. Why did it even matter? It was the last thing she should probably be thinking. She'd just given Draco Malfoy a hand job! And Merlin, was it sexy...

Hermione shook her head. Her mind was a cacophony of debating thoughts. Betrayal and selfish desires were both shouting loudly. What would her friends say if they knew? But it wasn't any of their business. It was her and Draco, and Good Godric, was he sexy.

"It's none of their business," she spoke aloud. It need never concern them. They need never know. She gasped when she remembered that Draco's essence was still running down her skirt. How would she explain that when she walked into the common room?

"Idiot," she grumbled the next second, remembering the spell Scourgify. With a quick flick of her wrist, the mess was gone. She smiled to herself as she remembered the look on his face. It was worth it. No matter the trouble she knew she was getting herself into, watching Draco come undone and allowing him to do the same to her? Worth it.

* * *

"Fuck," Draco cursed under his breath. He wasn't sure if it was more positive or negative, but the expletive was called for either way. Never had he burned so hot before. Once Pansy had done him that favor, but Merlin, Granger had skill. On the other hand, _he_ was lacking in skill. It had been over much too quickly. He'd let himself go and it was over far sooner than it should have been. No wonder Granger looked so surprised. She was probably worried what it'd be like if they ever had intercourse.

It was incredible and it was an eye opener. He needed help if he was going to be become the sex god he aspired to be. With purpose in his step, Draco headed back toward the dungeons. Randy Man was just the person he needed to turn to for help. Surely there, in that beloved book, he would find the answer to his new problem.

"We'll talk soon," he grumbled. Merlin, he hoped that meant a good talk. After that night, there was no way he could live without more.

* * *

**I'll say it now - I'm really unsure of myself when writing smut, so please go easy on me. Let me know what you think - I'm dying to know what you think - but go easy on me. Please review.**


	12. Their First

Hermione smiled to herself as she wandered down the corridor towards Ancient Runes, clutching a large tome to her chest. It was the second day since the evening she spent in the library with Draco and she still couldn't stop smiling when she thought of it. It was difficult to forget. Each time she saw him; in class, the great hall, or the corridors between classes, they couldn't help but steal hidden glances, often accompanied by a look of desire. She couldn't stop thinking about it. Not just that one encounter, but of the possibility of many more. Many times over those two short days, she'd considered pulling him aside or writing him a note, only to realize she had no idea what to say. Tomorrow, she decided, or perhaps the next day. She feared that if she rushed, she may come across as desperate.

Just as she finished her thought, she felt a tug on the back of her shirt and was swiftly swept into the empty classroom she'd just passed.

"Merlin, Malfoy, you can't just keep snatching me out of the hallway like that," she protested as she readjusted her shirt.

"You said we'd talk. It's been two days, Granger."

"Yes, it's just been two days," she agreed, not understanding his petulance.

"And just how long were you planning on making me wait?"

"Like you said, Malfoy, this isn't a relationship. It's sex. I don't know how this is supposed to go. I'm certainly not ready to meet you every night."

"Then when?" he asked, obviously displeased.

"Erm... Thurday night?" she asked nervously, switching her weight from foot to foot.

"Quidditch practice. You have the schedule," he reminded her moodily. "Are you thinking just once a week?"

"I don't know. I've never done this. I just... I..."

"Saturday. It's a Hogsmeade trip. The castle will be nearly empty. We could find a private-"

"I can't," she interrupted him. "I mean, I would, but I've got holiday shopping to do. Christmas is right around the corner and I'm not prepared at all."

"Well then..." he drawled. He was beginning to get the idea that she was avoiding him and he was quietly beginning to seethe. There were a limited number of days left before the holidays and then... oh he wasn't sure he'd make the holiday break before tracking her down and-

"Tuesday night. The night before holidays," Hermione offered. "We could meet in the Prefects' lounge after your patrol."

Draco looked up at her with lust returning to his eyes. She looked nervous and jumpy. Unable to help himself, he pressed her to the wall and into a fervid kiss. As nervous as she always appeared, she became confident during his attentions and passionately reciprocated, running her fingers through his silky hair as his hands rubbed up and down her waist.

"Stop." Her voice was muffled against his mouth but he slowly pulled away. "I-I can't right now. I have class."

He nodded in understanding, but cursed her busy class schedule.

"Tuesday night," she reminded him.

"I'll be there, Granger. Just be on time." When she left the room Draco ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Tuesday. That was if he didn't jump her again before then. No. He couldn't. He was looking desperate enough as it was. If she could be patient, by god, so could he. Or... he could just make her want it more.

* * *

More dreams. More bloody dreams and phantom touches. He was teasing her and had been since the day he pulled her aside. It was Saturday and she was supposed to be concentrating on buying a list of gifts, but all she kept thinking of were the fantasies he was creating for them. "Bloody ferret," she grumbled to herself as she made her way down toward the busy wizarding village.

"Who?" Ginny asked, coming up behind her.

Hermione stiffened suddenly. Ginny, of all people, Ginny. Oh, the guilt. She could end everything here and now. All she had to do was tell Ginny and Malfoy would finally get what was coming to him. Ginny could have her revenge and they'd go to McGonagall to have him properly punished. But it wasn't what she wanted anymore, was it?

"Malfoy," she answered truthfully. Anyone would guess it was him she was referring to and Ginny probably already had. Who else did they refer to as Ferret?

"What about him?" Ginny asked, eyes narrowed. "What'd he do?"

"Nothing," she lied. "Just being his usual arrogant self."

"What'd he do?" Ginny repeated.

"Just tried to throw me off during my Arithmancy presentation the other day." There. That was a truth.

"Did he? I could hex him, you know, if he's bothering you," she offered with a smile, only half joking.

"No, much to his displeasure, I did just fine."

"I'd expect nothing less," Ginny said encouragingly. "I'm sorry to bother you here. I know you're probably busy, but I just got an owl from Mum this morning. She's wondering what you've decided for Christmas holidays."

"Oh, erm... I talked to Harry, he was supposed to tell you. I'm going to France with my parents, but I can make it for New Year's Eve. There's no way, I'd miss Fred and George's firework display."

"Good. We'll miss you though."

"I'll miss you all, as well."

"All but Ron?" she asked skeptically.

"Ron and I are still friends, Ginny. Nothing will ever change that."

"Good. Don't know how you put up with him sometimes, but that's still good. Anyway, I'll see you later. Gotta finish up my own shopping and pen Mum back."

"Okay. Make sure you tell her I said thank you for the invitation," Hermione called after her as Ginny ran off ahead. She'd miss the Weasleys over the break, but at the same time she was relieved. The guilt she had for her interactions with Draco could kill her if she was with them privately for so long. As strange as it was, she no longer wanted to talk herself out of it.

* * *

Hermione shifted in her place on the sofa and then stood, returning to her previous activity of pacing the room. It was late and he was late. She'd had enough trouble gathering the nerve to come and he wasn't there yet. She had no doubt that he would be, he was nothing, if not persistent, but she wondered what was keeping him. Still, better than him lecturing her for being five minutes late. As punctual a person as she was, it had taken her time and skill to sneak past Ron and Harry in the common room. She felt enough guilt without having to lie to them again. She still felt devious when she spilled Ron's butterbeer to distract them, but it felt better than lying.

Huffing in frustration, Hermione returned to her seat upon the sofa. Draco's sofa, or so she thought of it. It was always the place he sat during prefect meetings. She supposed it was more like their sofa now, considering how many times they shared it in their fantasies. Of all their fantasy locations, this seemed the most comfortable. As erotic as the dreams were, she'd prefer her first time with him not to be against a wall, tree, or the hard floor. Merlin, their first time. That's what was going to happen. Sex.

A fierce wave of anxiety burst through her and she leapt to her feet, fight or flight kicking in, just as the door opened. There he stood, looking as flustered as she felt, only more irritated.

"It was Pansy," he explained before she had the chance to ask. "I told her to go back to the common room without me and she wouldn't stop hounding me for a reason and lecturing me about being out after curfew when I'm a prefect."

Hermione stared at him in surprise. If she expected anything, it was a "Mind your business, Granger, I'm here aren't I?" On top of that, Pansy was a responsible prefect? The world seemed flipped upside down. Perhaps Slytherins weren't such alien creatures? She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts. She didn't want to get into it.

"She's not going to come looking for you, is she?"

"No. She knows better than to follow me when I tell her not to, not to mention she wouldn't risk detention," he answered casually. _Casually?_ He seemed to catch himself when he saw her confusion. "Look, Granger, we're not here to discuss my tardiness or my relationship with my friends. Now-"

_That was more like him,_ Hermione thought.

"Now what?" she asked testily at the return of his commanding voice. "Just strip?"

"What, you want to talk again?"

"No..." But she didn't just want to strip. How was it she wanted to proceed? How was it that they usually started? "Well, nothing's going to happen if you don't get closer," she said quietly.

Draco's smirk returned and he sauntered toward her with a swagger in his step. Both their hearts were quickening in anticipation. This was how it started each time, closing the gap and - Tossing her hesitation, Hermione stood on her toes and pushed her lips to his. It always started with a kiss. No words, no touching until their lips met. Just as soon as they did, Draco's hands were on her hips, pulling her body flush against his. Just as quickly, Hermione's arms were wrapped around his neck, one hand moving to comb through the silky blond strands she'd come to desire as much as the rest of him.

Draco's insatiable lips were quickly upon her neck, unable to decide whether they should aim for her ear or collar. "Now can we strip?"

Hermione's encouraging mews paused to give him consent. Yes, shedding their clothes was indeed an incredible idea. After all his teasing through the week, she craved him as much as he did her. What a strange thought it still was, Draco Malfoy wanting her so desperately. How sexy he made her feel.

Clothing was thrown and dropped on the floor as their fingers made quick work of the many buttons and zips. And there she was, standing before him in yet another set of lingerie. Did she wear it all the time now or was it just for him? Whether it was at all times or not, he knew it was always for him. This gorgeous girl, the object of his desire, had dedicated herself to him, whether she realized it or not. Overcome with desperation to claim his prize, Draco guided her onto the sofa, his mouth placing open kisses to the tops of her breasts and moving to her smooth stomach. Hermione gasped when his tongue made a sweep into her navel. No matter how pleasurable her fantasies could get, it was nothing to the real touch of him.

Draco traveled lower still, peppering kisses behind her knee and up her thigh. The scent of her arousal was intoxicating. "Tell me you're ready, Granger. Gods, please tell me you're ready."

"Yes," she pleaded. Yes, she needed him, needed to feel him and all that he had.

As Draco reached the elastic of his boxers he paused and remembered his plan. His hand found his trousers on the floor without looking. The wood of his wand was cool against his heated palm as he waved it over Hermione's belly. To his surprise, she did not look distrustful. Though he felt unsteady in his frantic state, the contraceptive charm was performed perfectly.

"I did one myself when I got here," she smiled.

He smirked in reply, but began digging in his pocket once more. A small bottle was produced and Hermione looked at him curiously. Without explanation, Draco sprinkled a liquid into his palm and slipped his hand into his boxers to massage the oil into his scrotum. It was odd feeling, but he no longer doubted Randy Man's recipes and certainly never his own skill as a potioneer. He doubted it would harm him. He only hoped that it worked.

"What-?" Hermione started.

"Never mind, Granger. It will only make it better," Draco responded in nearly a growl as the oil caused a warm, tingling sensation. There was no way in hell he was going to explain to her that it was to prolong the experience. She may have been present when he'd come so quickly the time before, but he wasn't about to bring attention to it.

In one quick motion, Draco climbed back upon the sofa and settled himself between Hermione legs, leaning over her warm body. As curious as Hermione was, she didn't question him further and put her mouth to better use, nipping at his neck and collar. Draco moaned at the feeling and ground himself against her. Unable to wait any longer Draco tugged his boxers down, pleased when Hermione began ridding herself of her panties at the same time.

This was the moment he'd been waiting years for. He insisted, as he always did, that his experience with Pansy didn't count. This was it, what he considered his first, and it was with the girl he'd lusted after longer than any other.

As tenderly as his trembling hand could manage, he slid his fingers along her slit, toying gently with her clit before inserting a finger inside her. His body told him to move along, to hurry things up, but he took his time, preparing her for his entrance. When he considered her well adjusted to his one finger, he slowly inserted another, all the while watching the expressions of want and pleasure on Hermione's face. It was what persuaded him not to rush. There was something beautiful in her reactions that made him want to make the moment last.

"Please, Draco," she begged. His chest heaved as he ached with desire. Planting a kiss upon her throat, Draco slowly guided himself into her, filling her completely in one movement. Hermione moaned beneath him, but he could not hear her over his own audible response. It was glorious. It was fantastic. It was incredible. There were simply too many words to describe it. It was sensation at its best. Her soft walls encompassed him, holding him captivated in the feel of her. Hermione's hips rose to grind against him and Draco slowly retreated from his position, only to thrust slowly and deeply again. Hermione moved with him as he set a steady pace, lifting her hips in time with his thrusts. Merlin, the sounds she made, how distracting they were. She was vocal in their daydreams, but here he could feel the vibrations through her traveling kisses.

He tried so hard in that moment to remember the teachings of Randy Man, how best to thrust, the ways and places that could bring the most pleasure to a woman, but he was so lost in the moment, that the only thing he could think was that he couldn't stop.

"Is...? Does it...?"

Hermione cut him off with a searing kiss, twisting her tongue around his, and moaning into his open mouth. Therein laid his answer. She most certainly seemed to be enjoying herself as much as he was.

Draco didn't know how long their moment had lasted when he felt the beginnings of his oncoming release, but became panicked that she had not yet come. Her gasps were more frequent, her delicious groans louder and more desperate, but he wasn't sure just how close she was. He couldn't allow himself to finish before her or he'd never be able to see her through. This was a reputation he was trying to build, a reputation of perfection. With one shaking hand positioned between them, Draco struggled to keep pace and pleasure her most sensitive place at the same time. Seeing his dilemma, Hermione moved his hand aside and quickly rubbed herself in time with him. Draco felt an odd mixture of disappointment and flaming lust. The thought and feel of her pleasuring herself brought him over the edge. Losing himself to the fire burning through him, Draco thrust fast and hard, each to a loud 'oh' from the girl beneath him. Hermione called out his name and Draco nearly missed it over the sound of his own guttural cries. Ecstasy. Pure ecstasy as he poured himself into her, her walls clenching around him. Gods, it was everything he'd hoped for and more.

Sweaty and panting Draco stared down upon Hermione's face. Was it right to kiss her? It felt almost a little too intimate at this point. Anything more felt too intimate. How strange...

"Mmn," Hermione moaned again, still lost in the aftershock. "Gods, that was... incredible."

Draco nodded in agreement. "I-I'm sorry that-"

"Merlin, if you apologize for that-" Draco cut her off with a nibble on her ear followed by gentle sucking. Too intimate or not, he couldn't help himself. He needed to savor the moment. He knew now that it couldn't last and he was already imagining himself alone and cold in his bed. Gods, how was he going to survive the holidays without more of this?

"Draco stop!" Hermione gasped. "Too much. I can't..." She pushed his head away, smiling and chuckling softly. Merlin, she wanted more, but her body couldn't possibly take any more sensation.

Their eyes met and Hermione's smile fell slightly at the intensity of the connection. It was something she hadn't expected - a connection. As casual as the sexual relationship was, it still made it a relationship of some kind. Draco averted his eyes and Hermione instantly did the same. It was with that awkwardness between them that Draco slowly pulled himself from her body. The two of them dressed quietly and found themselves standing face to face.

"I..." Hermione started, trying to fill the silence. But what was she going to say? What did one say in such a situation? "Erm... Merry Christmas, Draco."

Draco nodded, his gaze committing her and their shared moment to his memory, something to hold onto through the holidays. Hermione nibbled her bottom lip. As much as she thought she was beginning to understand him, he was still so intense and mysterious to her, so much more confusing in his silence.

Draco moved to the door and paused with his hand upon the doorknob. "Merry Christmas, Granger."

Hermione sighed and sat back on the sofa, not yet trusting her legs to carry her all the way back to the Gryffindor tower. Merlin... it hadn't been her first time, or even her second or third, but it was by far the most satisfying. She was glad that she had remembered to cast Muffliato on the door or they'd have surely been caught. Her and Draco Malfoy.

* * *

**Yay! Their first time. **

**Thank you all for your encouraging reviews. I hope it continues to satisfy. Please continue to review.**


	13. Exchanging Gifts

"Merry Christmas, Granger." Draco's words repeated over and over in her mind through the holidays and much more frequently since her return. It was a simple well wishing, a simple goodbye, nothing intimate or romantic, not that she wanted any of that at all, but was it enough to justify her purchase? Hermione looked down at the wrapped gift in her hands and gripped it tightly in her nervousness. No, she shouldn't have, but she did. The question now was if she should give it to him.

The door that led to the Astronomy tower opened and Hermione immediately considered tossing the gift over the side of the tower. Still, she gripped it tightly in her hands.

"Bad timing, Granger," Malfoy said irritably in the way of a greeting. "I've been trying to get you to meet me for the last two days and you absolutely insist on just before I'm supposed to be on the Quidditch pitch."

"We've both been busy since getting back to school, so don't blame me. As for timing now, I wasn't planning on us doing anything... you know..."

"So what do you want then?" his impatience still evident.

"You know what? You're making me regret this already, but merry Christmas," she said, thrusting the present out to him.

"What's this?" he asked, eyeing the package dubiously.

"It's a toad. What does it look like?"

"Why?"

"Because people buy other people gifts at Christmastime. I would have owled it to you, but I was afraid that could be awkward if you received it in front of your parents."

Draco paled at the very idea. "Look, Granger, I thought this was pretty clear. You're not my girlfriend. This is not a relationship. We-"

"Gods, Malfoy. I never thought that we were. We made it clear that we're not seeing each other, but we're still... something. Lovers or whatever. Look," she said, becoming more and more agitated by the whole situation and even more at the way she was failing in her explanation. "I buy gifts for everyone. I got Hagrid a gift, Ron's mother, and even cockroach clusters for some of my favorite house-elves. I didn't see anything wrong with getting you something, too. Just... Just take it or don't."

The gift was getting heavy as she continued to hold it out to him. Still he stared at it as though it could possibly be dangerous.

"You know what? Fine. I was just trying to be nice, but if you're going to be like that, I'll just give it to Harry," she huffed. She knew this was a bad idea. Why on Earth had she gone through with it?

Just as she began to haughtily walk past, Draco's arm shot out and snatched the gift from her grasp. Without a word, he ripped the paper free and stared down at the book in his hands. A book. Of course.

"I hope you don't have it yet," she said quietly. "I saw it while shopping and thought of you. I swear that I don't mean anything by it. I just-"

"I don't have it," he answered, effectively cutting her off.

_Coaching a Winning Team_ by Layton Kneen

"Don't mean anything by it? You sure? Because it looks to me like you think my team-"

"Gods, get over yourself. I wouldn't buy you a book to insult you. We both know you've got a strong team. I just thought, being Quidditch Captain this year... Never mind."

"How would you know what my team's like? You don't even like Quidditch."

Hermione studied him, appearing as perplexed as she felt. Was he bitter with her for that?

"I never said that I don't like Quidditch. I don't think it's the meaning of life, but that's not to say that I don't enjoy watching a good game."

"Good game as in your precious Gryffin-"

"I was at the Slytherin/Hufflepuff game, thank you very much!" Why was she defending herself? To him? Over this?

Draco looked at her in surprise and she couldn't help but straighten her shoulders in smug satisfaction.

"Quidditch will never mean more to me than school work, but I still make it to the games when I can. You did well. It was a good catch. I just... thought... I just thought you'd enjoy the book. That it might help you plan your practices. If you don't like it, that's fine. Just... Merry Christmas, alright?"

Draco stared at her for a long moment, wondering if somehow, by studying her face hard enough, he could figure out just what was going on in her head.

"We're lovers, not a couple!" she shouted in frustration. "Do what you want with the stupid book. Have a good practice. I'll see you later." Hermione stormed through the door of the Astronomy tower and slammed it behind her. Just as she reached the bottom of the staircase, she heard the door open, followed by Draco's shout, "Saturday, Granger! Prefects' lounge at eleven! No excuses!"

Hermione huffed again. She should have saved her Galleons, it sure would have saved her the frustration.

* * *

"Look, Malfoy," Hermione said the moment he walked through the door of the prefects' lounge, "I'm sorry about the book. I'd appreciate it if we could-"

"Shut up, Granger," he interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, I don't appreciate-"

"I said shut up," he repeated. Before she could protest further, his lips were upon hers, tongues dancing together between their mouths. Merlin, how he'd missed her over the holiday. _Not her_, he corrected, _this._

With his hands firmly around her waist, Draco guided her toward the sofa and pulled her onto his lap. Hermione moaned deliciously into his mouth as she felt his already firming erection press up against her. She wiggled downward against him, grinding her pelvis against him. He groaned as if in pain and Hermione pulled back, looking upon him with concern.

"Not today, Granger," was his response. Hermione's heart sank, but before she had a chance to ask, Draco had flipped them over. Nestling between her legs, his fingers moved to her shirt buttons, plucking them open one by one.

"What do you mean, 'not-'?"

"Hush, Granger. Just enjoy," he answered, his lips descending upon her throat while his hands reached around to unclasp her bra. Hermione was completely baffled by his words, but did her best to shake them from her thoughts as he took her nipple into his mouth. With skill, he changed between a gentle suck, fierce tugs, and light nibbles, extracting gasp after gasp from her. As he switched to her other breast, one hand moved caress and knead the first.

Slowly peppered kisses moved downward. She felt his smile against her skin before she caught the smirk on his face. It was then that she realized his intentions and her heart began to race. The reason for his protest was that he didn't want to become too excited himself. Because tonight was about her pleasure. His smirk grew larger when he realized she understood. Hooking his fingers under both her skirt and panties, Draco pulled them down her legs and past her toes, dropping them on the sofa behind him. Moving to kneel on the floor, he opened her legs to him.

Hermione's voice quivered with the rest of her, "Draco, I've never-"

"There's going to be a lot of firsts for us, Granger. Just... shh." Just as he had the last time, his kisses started at her knee and moved upward toward her center. Just as he was nearing, he pulled back and repeated the treatment on her other leg. It was then that he stopped, his face just before the triangular patch of hair at the apex of her legs. Hermione, in all her life, in all that she'd done with him, had never felt so self-conscious. To be seen and studied so closely and intimately. It was somehow different.

Draco leaned in and pressed a kiss against her, relishing the scent of her arousal. Even in their fantasies, he'd not gone here, and it excited him. With a light touch, her rubbed her and slowly opened her to him, spreading her between his fingers. He'd studied her here, his fingers exploring her thoroughly, but this was somehow much more intimate. Tentatively, his tongue touched against her clit. Draco pulled back his face back instantly when she nearly jumped off the sofa.

"Too much," she gasped. Draco nodded, still stunned by her reaction. He shouldn't have been surprised though. He knew it was her most sensitive place. He'd read about this act in the playbook, of course, but still, his inexperience was shining through. Approaching slowly again, he pushed his tongue firmly against her opening and slowly moved upward toward her clit again. Somehow, so he'd read, a broad firm touch was not as overwhelming. She still tensed at the wet caress, her hands gripping the sofa on either side of her, but this time she did not jump.

Gaining courage in this exploration, he sucked roughly on the sensitive bud. Her gasp was sharp and her hips jumped again, but Draco was encouraged by the response. Slowly his tongue moved to explore her many layers, darting into her opening and returning to his favorite little spot. Hermione mewed and moaned at each tiny movement, trying her best not to buck her hips. Unable to help herself, her hand sought his hair and gripped hold. She needed to keep a grip on something for the sensations threatened to blow her away. Pausing, Draco took another moment to study her visually, watching the way her body accepted the two fingers he inserted into her. It was incredible, her body, and he was enraptured by every detail. Curling his fingers within her, massaging her inside, his tongue returned to where it had left off, twirling circles around her clit, before licking and sucking in turn. His jaw began to ache in his relentless ministrations, but he never once thought of ceasing. The sounds, the taste, the entire experience... He was devouring her and the experience was devouring him.

Her hips were raised off the sofa and had been for several moments, yearning for the release she was positively dying for. And then it crashed over her. Her hips bucked and her muscles clamped tightly around his fingers. She cried out, shrieking his name. Still Draco didn't cease, dragging out wave after wave of sensation until she pleaded for him to stop. Even then, she had to force his face away from her.

"Oh, Gods," she panted hoarsely, trying desperately to regain her breath and her decorum. Draco gazed upon her face from his place on the floor. It was the most incredible thing he'd ever witnessed and still couldn't believe the reactions he was able to extract from her. Sexy didn't even begin to describe it.

"That... That was... Gods, you're amazing."

Draco smirked at the compliment and wiped her essence from his face. "So are you."

"Godric, I never knew..."

Draco climbed off the floor and sat awkwardly beside her as she recovered. Conjuring a small cloth, he wiped her clean and promptly vanished it. Hermione stared at him, unable to understand just what she was feeling and thinking. It was such a giving act, and being giving was not something she ever thought of him before. Feeling uncertain under her scrutiny, Draco stood.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked in a panic.

"Back to the dungeons. It's late."

"B-but what about you?" she asked, gesturing to his obvious arousal.

"I told you, not tonight. This was for you. Merry Christmas, Granger."

Hermione's lips were parted in surprise as she watched him leave, unable to think of a reply. When the door closed, she collapsed against the sofa again. She'd gather her clothes in a moment. First, she had to finish collecting herself.

* * *

**More to come soon. ^^**


	14. Her-My-Oh-Nee

Again with the magical caresses. Hermione was going to kill him. He knew she enjoyed it. But they had agreed that they had a time and place, mainly in her bed, certainly not while she was studying or even worse, when she was in a public place. "Bloody ferret."

"Always," Harry agreed as he sat down across from her. "What'd he do this time?"

"Just being his usual arrogant self," Hermione answered, blushing deeply.

"Nothing serious?"

"Erm, no, j-just trying to interrupt my studying," she explained vaguely, wiggling in her seat to try to get comfortable and suppress the feelings he was creating.

"Is he still here? I could always hex him for you," Harry offered, obviously only half joking as he looked around the library.

"No, he left a bit ago. He's just... a prat."

"Always."

"So, uh, was there something you needed? You don't often visit the library."

"Just trying to track you down. You've been a bit reclusive lately. I wanted to make sure you're alright."

"Of course. I'm always alright."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Harry. That's not all you want though. What's the real reason?"

"Oh, erm," Harry cleared his throat. "As you know, Hogsmeade weekend is coming up."

"Yes, and you'll be spending it with Ginny. You already told me."

"Yes, but it's about Ron..."

"Yes?"

"He's, well... He sort of... His plans changed a bit and..."

"He's going to spend the day snogging Lavender Brown?"

Harry paused and adjusted his glasses. "That's not how Ron put it, but probably, yes..."

"Not surprised."

"I'm sorry, Hermione. How long have you known about them?"

"Before you did. It was pretty obvious really."

"You're... you're okay with that?"

"Don't worry about me, Harry. Ron and I are water under the bridge. As for Hogsmeade weekend, I'm sure I can find some way to entertain myself." Beneath her casual facade, Hermione was smirking to herself. Ron could go screw himself for all she cared. Malfoy was a much better way to spend her time anyway.

Hermione gasped and jumped from her seat. "Sorry, Harry. I have to get going."

"I thought you were studying." He said in confusion.

"I can't now," she said, gasping again. _I have to go track down a cocky ferret._

* * *

"Merlin," Draco panted, laying back on the white silk pillow. "I still can't believe that you never thought to mention this place before. Weeks now, Granger, no, _months_ we've been fooling around and you only thought to bring me here today?"

"I thought we agreed Malfoy," Hermione replied, still trying to catch her breath. "No conversation until five minutes has passed."

"Technically it has. Again, again, and again," he smiled broadly, thinking of their many activities that day.

"Oh, shut up a minute will you? You're ruining it."

"Oh no, there's no way to ruin that. That was..." There were no words to describe just what that was. "Seriously, you only thought about it recently?"

Draco studied the room again, surveying its many details. The high arched ceilings, the delicate rugs, the wide arched windows, and the intricately carved oak canopy bed that stood in the center of the room, covered in white silk spreads and a thick down comforter. It was heaven on earth; their own little haven of complete privacy.

"What did you say it was called? The requirement..."

"The room of requirement."

"And today, that was the first time you thought to use it for this purpose? What have you been using it for before?"

"Yesterday, actually," she corrected tartly. "I thought of it yesterday, and you could sound grateful rather than taunting don't you think?"

"No. Definitely not. Granger - Brightest witch of her age has the most magnificent room at her disposal and never once thinks, in the _months_ that we've-"

"And what about you?" she asked. "Months, so you've put it, _three_ months to be precise, since we've been 'fooling around' and you haven't once thought to call me Hermione, have you?"

Draco's head snapped to look at her, a dumbstruck look plastered across his face. Where had that come from?

"W-what?" he sputtered.

"Hermione. It's my name and I don't think I've once heard you use it."

"B-but, Granger... I've always called you Granger."

"Yes, and before sex, I always referred to you as Malfoy."

"Yeah, why did you stop?" he wondered aloud.

"Because I didn't want to scream Malfoy during sex," she laughed. "Then I noticed that you rather seemed to like when I called you Draco. Have you seriously never once considered calling me Hermione?"

"Well...she persisted when he didn't respond.

"Well, truthfully, yes, but it just seemed so... intimate. You and I are-"

"Having sex. Just sex. I know, but don't you think that's intimate enough?"

Draco gaped at her, uncomfortable with the entire topic. For some reason it just seemed like a giant step to him. He'd always called her Granger. The only times he remembered even saying the name Hermione was with disdain and only to his parents. Once they were familiar enough with the name, she just became "Granger" or "the Granger girl". It was possibly years since he uttered it. He wasn't even sure how it sounded when he said it.

"Say it," she smirked.

No. He needed practice at least, he was sure of it.

"Say it," she taunted, bumping his shoulder with hers.

"This is silly."

"Yes, it is. So just say it. Just once. Test it out. Not that hard. Her-My-Oh-Nee."

Draco swallowed hard. Apparently, she wasn't going to let it drop. With his voice low, it came out as a mutter. "Hermione."

"What was that?" she teased, her smile stretching ear to ear.

"Hermione! There!" he shouted. "Happy?"

"Extremely," she laughed. "I'm not asking you to call me that all the time, but it's nice to hear occasionally."

"Once every seven years, okay?"

"And just how long were you planning on keeping this thing going?"

"Until you stop being so sexy," he replied with a shrug.

"Well, I hope never to stop being that."

"You're stuck with me then," he smirked.

"No, if it's going to last that long, I just may require you to make an honest woman of me."

Draco blanched, the smirk wiped clean off his face.

Hermione burst out laughing, unable to help herself with the look of horror he wore. "It was a joke, Malfoy. Like I'd ever settle for someone like you."

"Settle?" Draco asked, suddenly looking affronted. "I'll have you know-"

"No need to. I already know how full of yourself you are. We could be here all day if you start listing what you love about yourself."

"I'm a catch, Granger. It's plain to see. Even _you_ can't deny it."

"Yeah, you'd be the perfect guy if it weren't for your personality."

"You don't seem to mind talking to me now," he pointed out. As soon as he had, he wished he hadn't. An awkward silence fell between them and their playful smiles dropped. There was some truth in that statement and it was a frightening truth.

"So..." Hermione said, clearing her throat as she thought how to change the subject. "Where'd you end up telling your friends you'd be today?"

"I didn't tell them anything. It's none of their business how I spend my time."

"Or who you spend it with," she added, a small smile returning.

"What about pothead and the weasel? Where'd you tell them you're going?"

"They've both got dates today. I told them I'd find some way to entertain myself."

"Far better entertained then they are, I'm sure."

"I don't know if I'd say that. Things with Ron and Lavender got pretty hot and heavy quite quickly last time they were together."

"Perhaps, but that still doesn't say much. From what I've gathered, Weasley must be atrocious in bed."

"Well..." Hermione said uncomfortably. "I don't know that I'd say _atrocious_..."

"Unsatisfying, then," he rephrased, smiling smugly. "I mean, he never made you come, did he?"

"It was awkward." She squirmed in bed, disliking the new conversation as much as the last. "We were a couple, but I don't think we were ever meant to be. We were friends for so long, and when things started getting physical..."

"It was a yes or no question. Did he make you orgasm?"

"No," she admitted quietly.

Draco, if possible, looked even more smug. "And just how many times did you-"

"What about you?" She cut him off. "It was Pansy, wasn't it? It only happened once and you don't seem very satisfied with that."

It was Draco's turn to look uncomfortable. "I said I don't like to talk about it."

"I don't like talking about past experiences either, but you're the one that brought it up. What happened exactly?"

Draco looked down and away from her. It was such a humiliating disaster. "We were drunk. Really drunk."

"You mean you didn't even want to?"

"Of course I wanted to. I gave it all I had, but..." Draco's lips sealed, his nose scrunched in disgust.

"You couldn't finish, could you?"

"What does it matter?" he snapped. "I haven't heard any complaints from you! I-"

"No. No complaints from me," she agreed quickly. As much as she liked to tease him, it was obviously a very sore subject. "Those days are long past for both of us. This... This works."

One corner of Draco's mouth tilted up as he surveyed the naked girl beside him. Indeed it did work. They were beautiful together. He couldn't have made a better selection. Not only was she good in bed, her sense of humor amused him. Their playful banter when they'd finished or even when planning their next encounter always left him smiling. She was something. A good pick.

"So I've been wondering..." Hermione started, propping herself up on her elbow to look down at him. "Erm.. how's practice been going? Prepared for the upcoming Ravenclaw game?"

"Pathetic, Granger," Draco said, shaking his head. "Pathetic cover. That's not what you were going to ask at all."

"Obviously, I changed my mind. I have been curious though. I hear their new chaser-"

"Spit it out. What were you really going to ask?"

Hermione cleared her throat again. "You never said what that stuff was that you rub on yourself before we... you know."

"Had rubbed. Past tense, Granger," he corrected. His eyes darkened, suggesting dangerous ground so Hermione decided to tread carefully.

"I sort of assumed it's for pleasure and I guess... I don't know... guess I've been a bit jealous."

Draco snorted in amusement. He'd been sure she must have figured it out and meant to tease him. "If it was for anyone's pleasure, it was yours. I wanted to make sure it wasn't over too soon. Again, I haven't needed it in awhile."

"Oh," she replied as a blush crept over her cheeks.

"But, if you're jealous, I have something you might be interested in." Draco swung his legs over the bed and made his way over to his discarded trousers. From his pocket he pulled another small vial. "I cooked it up a couple weeks ago, but wasn't sure you trusted me enough to let me use it."

"Wh-what is it?"

"For pleasure. Do you trust me?"

Hermione didn't have to debate it for even a moment and that alone frightened her a bit. Since when did she trust him so easily? Slowly she nodded.

Draco's smile grew as he made his way back to the bed, climbing toward her on his hands and knees with a wicked smile. With a gulp, Hermione spread her legs open to him. Draco sprinkled a small amount of the oil into his hand and nibbled his lip as he looked down at her with desire. "You sure?"

Hermione, giddy with anticipation, smiled as she made one condition. "If you'll call me Hermione."

"Once," he agreed. With one long sweep upward, Draco rubbed the oil along her slit, circling her clit and delving a finger into her slick depths. With another sprinkle in his palm, he slathered the oil over his growing erection.

"What exactly...?" Hermione shrieked when Draco leaned forward and suddenly sucked her clit. In all her life and all her experiences with Draco, she'd never felt anything so intense.

"Increases pleasure exponentially," he grinned. "Granger, I'm gonna make you come... again and again and-"

"You said you'd call me-"

"Oh, I will," he assured her as he climbed over her body. "When the time is right."

Draco growled in her ear and Hermione gasped as he swiftly plunged into her. A warm throbbing sensation poured through them both and Draco paused to let them adjust to the new sensation. Intense. There was no other way to describe the pleasure coursing through them. It was alarming to imagine adding any movement at all for a simple wiggle could tear them apart.

"Oh, Gods. There's no way we're going to..."

"I thought you trusted me. Don't you worry about lasting."

Hermione nodded in response, still overwhelmed by the sensitivity. She could feel everything, every part, every ridge of his penis deep inside her. She felt every inch of her canal and every vein and nerve in her most sensitive parts and her walls flexed around him.

"Are you ready?" he asked, a sweat breaking out on his forehead.

She nodded again in reply. At least, she thought she was.

"As it was your idea, let's make this one yours," Draco suggested, rolling the both of them over so that she was straddling his hips. Hermione's breaths were coming rapidly and she remained planted in place, adjusting yet again, feeling his penetration deeper than before with her weight pressing down on him. Draco remained patient, as affected as she was. Both sucked in a deep breath as she slowly raised herself on her knees and cried out when she impaled herself upon him.

Wiggling her hips, Hermione ground her clit against his pelvis and moaned loudly.

"Draco, I can't," she panted.

"You can," he encouraged. Taking hold of her hips, Draco assisted her in setting a slow, easy pace. "So good..."

Each of them felt upon the brink, but their movements continued, Draco raising his hips to meet her, thrusting upward as she ground down onto him. Each movement brought more and more pleasure. Each second promised an oncoming orgasm, but the intensity only continued to increase.

"Draco! Draco!" Hermione called out his name like a prayer, begging for the release and hoping that the release might spare her life.

Draco felt it coming first, the signs of his imminent explosion. Hermione's walls fluttered around him and he growled. "Finish, Granger. Come for me."

"I'm coming. I'm coming," she gasped, her voice rising in pitch.

Draco could hold off no longer and his body stiffened beneath her as he throbbed inside, spurting his seed deep within.

"Hermione!" His voice was hoarse as he called out her name.

She wasn't sure if it was the throbbing of his member or the cry of her name, but she followed his shout with the scream of his name, her body clenching him tightly over and over again as wave after wave of excruciating pleasure gripped her. The sensations flowed through her body and seared at the point where they joined together. Exhausted to the point that she could not move, Hermione collapsed upon him with her head upon his sweat slicked chest and gripped the sheets on either side of him, so as not to float away.

It was five minutes later, or perhaps an hour, that Draco finally spoke the only word that seemed to fit. "Amazing."

Hermione, however, did not hear it for she was fast asleep atop him.

_Too intimate,_ thought Draco. _Yet still nice._ As gently as he could he brushed the hair from her face and planted a soft kiss upon her forehead. Sweet Salazar, what was she doing to him?

* * *

**I couldn't wait to post this chapter. ^^ It was one of my favorites to write. **

**Let us know what you think!**


	15. Victory Bath

_Meet me in the prefects' bathroom after your victory celebration. _

_HG_

Draco smiled to himself as he made his way to up toward the fifth floor and the saucy minx waiting for him. She'd shoved the note in his hand just after dinner. She had anticipated a Slytherin victory even before the game had begun. She had faith in him on the Quidditch field and the thought somehow warmed him, even as it disturbed him. He was getting attached, attached to the Gryffindor princess, who was once the bane of his existence, the girl that out performed him in every class. She was meant to be a conquest and became a lover. What more was she becoming to him? A friend?

Christmas gifts, interest in his sports performance and personal life? Did she already consider him a friend? Merlin, did she consider them something more? Draco panicked. He didn't think of her that way; he was sure of it.

Draco's heart was pounding as he approached the prefects' bathroom. _Lover. Lover only._ He told himself. _And maybe friends. Maybe._

"Suds and bubbles," he whispered to the door, hoping not to get caught by the Prefects patrolling the halls. They were taking chances, meeting during patrol hours. It wasn't the first chance they'd taken though. They were careful, the pair of them. Quickly slipping inside and closing the door behind him, his senses were assaulted by a familiar scent... his scent. The combination of bubbles he used for his own bath. How did she know? Did she know his scent that well?

"Did I get it right?" she asked hopefully.

Draco nodded as he turned around to face her. There she was in the pool sized bath surrounded by a large amount of blue foam and green bubbles.

"Good." She smiled at him broadly as she played with the bubbles in front of her. "Congratulations on your win. Another brilliant catch on your part. Your chasers weren't bad either, well they would be if they weren't so violent anyway."

"It's a violent game."

"When played by Slytherins it is," she chuckled. "Care for a bath?"

"I don't stink," he replied, wondering if she was implying he was in need of one. "I showered in the locker room."

"It's for pleasure. And I hope you didn't stuff yourself at the after party. I brought some snacks for us."

Draco took notice of the small spread behind her. Chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate éclairs and, "Is that champagne?"

"It is."

"Where on earth did you manage to get champagne?" he asked in surprise.

"Hogsmeade."

"But you missed the last Hogsmeade trip."

"I got it yesterday," she explained.

"That doesn't explain how you got there."

"I don't intend to tell you that much. I have my secrets."

"The sweets from Hogsmeade too?"

"No. They're from the kitchen."

"How do you know where the kitchen is?"

"Never mind that. Are you getting in or not?"

Draco eyed the naked girl in the tub and the foods behind her again. His heart pounded in his chest. They may be lovers, but they'd never had a meeting like this before. It looked a bit... romantic.

"Fine then," Hermione said, grabbing a chocolate strawberry from one plate and bringing it to her lips, sucking the juices that threatened to drip down her chin. "I'm enjoying myself without you. If you're not interested..."

"Shut up, Granger," he said, quickly pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it across the room. "I deserve this."

"You do," she agreed, "which is why I planned it."

"How'd you know we'd win?" Draco stripped the rest of his clothes and grabbed the flute of champagne closest to him.

"Ravenclaw hasn't had a good seeker since Cho Chang left. Your keeper's a bit rubbish still, but I knew Ravenclaw would never score enough before you caught the snitch," she smiled smugly.

"They didn't stand a chance. So long as we beat Gryffindor-"

"Not a chance," Hermione cut him off, shaking her head.

Draco scowled angrily as he sunk into the bath.

"Hey, you still have a chance at the Quidditch Cup, depending on your score against us and our score against Hufflepuff, but you can't expect me not to have my faith in Harry."

"Potter," he sneered in disgust. "I sure hope nothing happens to him before our game."

"No!" Hermione protested. "You wouldn't!"

"No," he admitted. He had grown up and put his petty hexes behind him, "but that doesn't mean another Slytherin wouldn't."

"I'm serious, Malfoy! If you dare..."

"I told you I wouldn't," he said heatedly.

"I'd like to believe you, but I know you're the one that gave that love potion to Ginny. I haven't brought it up, but I'm still pissed at you for it."

"Did you invite me here for a lovers' spat, Granger, or to enjoy myself, because I'm sure not finding this enjoyable."

"Fine. I'll drop it for now, but don't think that it won't come up again."

"I look forward to it," he said sarcastically. "Now let's get back to how fantastic I am."

"Yes, do go on. I love to hear you praise yourself," she laughed lightheartedly. It still surprised him how quickly they lost their disdain.

"Granger, just what do you think I am to you?"

"What?" she sputtered, choking on her champagne.

"This isn't sex."

"Well, I was sort of thinking we'd get to that."

"But this is still something more. Just what is it that you think is going on here?"

"A celebration. I thought you'd enjoy it."

"Exactly. Quite thoughtful of you."

"You make that seem like a bad thing. Since when have I not been thoughtful?"

"Exactly. Do you think me a friend or something?"

Hermione stared down at the bathwater and nervously tugged at her ear. "I don't know, honestly. I suppose. Is that such a bad thing though? Being friends? It's not like we're a couple."

Draco considered that question just as he had in the corridor. Was it so bad to be friends? Could he possibly consider her that? His father immediately came to mind. His other friends may possibly accept it if they ever found out, but his father? Never. Could he live with that?

"I'm afraid we already are..." he said, truly concerned.

Hermione laughed at his response. "No choice in it then. Now let's drop it. Here, have a strawberry. They're positively divine."

Draco accepted and conversation returned, bringing about the subject of upcoming class projects and their classmates' current relationships. Never before had they imagined a relationship between Seamus Finnigan and Luna Lovegood, but it was suddenly a reality. Then again, they never imagined anything between themselves either. Oh the scandal it would be if they were ever found out.

"The water's going to get cold if we don't-"

"Say no more," Draco smirked, pinning her to the wall and planting his lips upon hers. She was surprised, though she shouldn't have been, when she felt that he was already aroused. "It doesn't take much. One thought is all it takes with you, Granger."

Wasting no more time, the two of them coupled, grinding and moaning when a voice was suddenly heard through the door.

"Oh God," Hermione gasped. Draco broke apart and turned around just as the door opened.

"Oh God," a female voice echoed her thoughts.

"Fuck," Draco cursed beneath his breath. "Get out!"

The door slammed shut and Hermione leapt from the bath. Drying herself off and dressing at record speed, Draco doing the same as he collected his clothes from around the room.

"That stupid bitch," Draco cursed again.

"Oh, God, if Ginny tells Harry and Ron..."

"That red-headed bint better not speak a word of this to any- I'm Obliviating her," he decided, gripping his wand tightly in his hand as he stormed toward the door.

"No!" Hermione shrieked. "No, you bloody well aren't! You dare touch my friend with a single-"

"This isn't getting out, Granger. I'd rather eat a fucking-"

"I don't care what you do so long as you don't touch my friends. I don't want this out anymore than you do, but-"

"Do you, Granger?! Do you really understand what this could do to me?!"

"You?! Is that all that matters? I-"

"I'd be disgraced! Coupling with some muggle-born swot when-"

The sound of her slap echoed through the room and she stood there seething, her wand trained upon his chest.

"How dare you! How dare you call me that! After all we've done-"

"We agreed, Granger-"

"I don't care what we agreed, you have no right to call me that. And here I thought you'd changed! I thought we just agreed to be friends. Is that still what I am to you? You call me sexy and still think I'm just some dirt beneath your shoes? You're a sodding monster, Malfoy!"

And it hit him, what he'd said. He hadn't called her that awful slur, mudblood, but still used her heritage to define her when he'd come to appreciate her despite it. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"I don't care!"

"Really, Hermione," he admitted quietly. "I'm-"

"Fuck off, Malfoy!" she roared, shoving him roughly. "You're an arse. Nothing but-" She could no longer speak as she choked on the sob caught in her throat.

"Hermione," he said again, turning to follow her as she rushed toward the door.

"Sod off!" she responded, not turning to look back. "And don't you dare speak to me again."

* * *

"Hermione?" Ginny called as she rushed after her distraught friend. "Hermione, wait!"

"Leave me alone, Ginny," she sobbed, picking up her pace as she tried to put more space between them.

"Hermione, it's okay. I-"

"Shut up, Ginny," she snapped. She'd later regret being so harsh with her good friend, but at that moment she only cared to be left alone. "And if you dare speak a word of this to anyone, I swear I'll hex you myself!"

Ginny stopped in the middle of the hall when she almost ran into Colin Creevey as he rounded the corner.

"What was that?" he asked excitedly. "A student out of bed? Did you give them detention?"

"Shut up, Creevey," Ginny ordered. She had far too much to think about to bother listening to him, or anyone else for that matter. Hermione and Draco Malfoy. She was too stunned for words.

* * *

**Not my favorite chapter. Despite my efforts, it feels a bit rushed and extreme. Because of that and as a thank you to you lovely faithful reviewers, I'll be posting another chapter today. **


	16. Fighting for Forgiveness

"How long?" Ginny asked as she sat down on Hermione's bed and quietly appraised her friend, who was aimlessly perusing her bookshelf. She'd given her time, of course, two days to be exact, but they couldn't avoid the conversation forever.

"Three and a half months," Hermione admitted, trying her best not to break out in tears.

"That long?" Ginny asked in surprise. "And you never told anyone?"

"We're not exactly a pair that people would accept." Ginny, she knew, believed the relationship to be a romantic one, but Hermione was not about to correct the assumption. She was humiliated enough as it was.

"I wouldn't have judged you for it. I don't now, you know," she said encouragingly.

"It doesn't matter. Whatever it was, it's over."

"Because of me?"

"Because he reminded me what an arse he was... _is_."

"What'd he say?"

"It doesn't matter."

"What'd he say?" she repeated.

"He called me a muggle-born swot. After all that time- Where are you going?!"

"To hex his balls off," Ginny declared as she made for the door. Hermione grabbed her sleeve and pulled her to a stop. The look on the brunette's face stopped her in her tracks. She looked so broken.

"Don't. Please don't," Hermione requested.

"You should have told me."

"I realize that now, but I... Oh, Ginny, I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't stand to look at him and he's everywhere."

"Has he come to you? Has he apologized?"

"He apologized immediately, but how could I possibly accept it? It's not the insult, it's what he thinks of me. Oh, Ginny, please don't tell anyone."

"I promise. Not a soul."

* * *

_You can't keep ignoring me. Meet me in the classroom across from hall after class._

_DM_

_Not a chance,_ Hermione thought to herself. Looking across the potions' classroom, she made sure he watched as she scrunch up the paper and banished it to the rubbish bin. His face scrunched up with anger, but she felt nothing but satisfaction. Whatever she had with Malfoy, it was over and no amount of pleading would convince her to meet him again. Perhaps she was that kind of girl for a time, but no more.

"What was that?" asked Ron, glancing from Malfoy to Hermione and back again.

"Nothing. He's just being a prat, as always."

"Yeah, but he hasn't messed with us in awhile, has he? What's he want all of a sudden? What'd it say?"

"Not more stupid drawings, was it?" asked Harry.

"He's just being a prat, I said. Now hush up before Snape catches us talking."

"Ten points from Gryffindor. There's no need to speak during class, Potter."

Harry and Ron groaned in frustration, while Hermione secretly appreciated the end of the interrogation. She'd easily gain the ten points back in Transfiguration later that day.

As for Malfoy, he was going to continue to be a problem and it was a problem she needed to solve. He was persistent, but so was she. He _would_ leave her alone.

* * *

"Let go of me!" Hermione shouted as she was tugged behind a tapestry into a secret passage. She had been smart enough to avoid it and any empty classrooms by walking down the center of the corridor, but it appeared that Malfoy had become bolder.

"Listen here, Granger," Draco snapped. "I've been putting up with your childish shite for too long. You can't keep ignoring-"

"Yes, I bloody can! Let go of me! Get your filthy paws off of me! Now!" She screeched as she struggled to get free from his grasp.

"Look, Granger, I'm not trying to piss you off, I just want you to lis-"

Hermione's hand swung hard in his direction, but Draco caught it just before it connected with his cheek.

"I've had enough of that for a lifetime. Now calm down so I can-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione spit directly in his face. Shocked and disgusted, he released her to wipe his face. As soon as he had, he regretted it, for she was halfway down the corridor by the time he stepped out of the secret passage.

Bloody stubborn, that's what she was. Three weeks. Three bloody weeks and she was still avoiding him. He'd tried to apologize time and time again, tried to give her space and time, but it was time yet again for drastic measures. She'd have to deal with him if she wanted to or not.

* * *

"Malfoy!" Hermione shrieked. "Get out!"

"Not a chance."

"I told you to stay out of my dreams," she raged.

"I tried, but you won't talk to me any other way. This is the only place you can't escape me."

"I swear, if you lay a hand on me I'll hex you here so hard, you'll feel it in real life," she threatened. Thankfully, it wouldn't work, but he thought better than to bring it up.

"I haven't touched you except to get you to stay still. I've only wanted to apologize."

"You? Apologize?" she asked derisively.

"I already have. Is it so surprising that I would try again when you didn't listen the first time?"

"Yes."

"I-"

"I don't know your motivations, Malfoy, but I don't want to. We're over. If you want to apologize go ahead, but it's not going to change a damn thing."

"Listen, I'm sorry, alright?! I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this!"

"No! No, it's not alright. After all that time we spent together, no matter what the state of our relationship, I can't believe that you still think of me as nothing but some mudblood!"

"I didn't call you that!"

"As good as! Just some muggle-born swot? What was I supposed to take from that?"

"Look, I don't think that. I haven't thought it in a long time. I was angry and the words just slipped out."

"And you expect me to believe you didn't mean them? It's what you've always thought, you stupid pig! That you're something so much better just because your parents and ancestors-"

"Yes, my parents have shoved it into my head my whole life that I'm superior because of my heritage. It's not that easy to let go of, but I have!"

"Bullshit! You might think you have-"

"I have! How can you possibly think I haven't? Why would I have stayed with you, been so intimate with you, befriended you if-?"

"Like I said, I don't know your motivations, but I see-"

"You don't see! I'm sorry, Granger. I've never felt so fucking sorry in all my life, alright?!" Draco shouted in fury. Reigning himself in, he cooled himself to the best of his ability. "I'm not the monster you claim me to be, and you know that. You weren't the only one to have their feelings hurt in that room."

"I hurt your feelings?" she said incredulously. The thought had never even crossed her mind. He may have insulted her, but she had said cruel things to him as well. He may be insensitive, but he wasn't a monster.

"Is that so hard to believe? Do you really think me so cold and heartless that your words can't sting me, too?"

"You started it." As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized just how childish they sounded. He seemed to think so as well as he failed to hide the small chuckle that issued forth. This whole conversation, this whole continued argument was exhausting. With a great sigh, Hermione sat herself upon the ground, for the first time taking in her surroundings. They stood, in her case sat, in the middle of a large field of wildflowers. Despite her simmering anger, she couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Flowers, Malfoy? Really? You don't think that a bit romantic?"

"I thought serene, but perhaps," he said sneering at the sunny location. It was not the place for the argument they were having. In his defense, he was hoping to avoid a row and thought the flowers would be calming.

"Malfoy..." Hermione started as calmly as she could.

"Damn it, Granger! I'm sorry! If you'd just forgive me... Damn it! Isn't that what Gryffindors do?"

"Not all," she said bluntly, thinking of those Harry and Ron declared as enemies.

"And you?"

"And that's it, is it? I'm a forgiving person, so I should just automatically forgive you? It's not so easy when you realize a person thinks of you as dirt."

"You know I don't think of you that way. We're friends. I wouldn't think of you as such if I thought you below me."

"Friends? Is that what we are, Malfoy?"

"It's Draco," he corrected, "and I don't think we could ever just be friends."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Her brows were knit together in returning anger and frustration, but her heart fluttered as she wondered what he truly meant.

"We're too intimate to be friends. I'm hooked and I could never settle for friends, Hermione," he admitted grudgingly.

"Then just what are you suggesting?"

Draco tentatively approached her and held out his hand. Hermione suspiciously took the proffered hand and allowed him to help her to her feet. There her eyes met his and she was greeted with a strange mixture of confusing emotions. Before she could speak or protest, his lips were upon hers in the most delicate kiss. He was patient with her, waiting for her to respond. She was hesitant, but could not deny the light feeling bubbling up inside her. Slowly and going against what she considered her better judgment, she gently responded to his kiss. Hermione breathed deeply through her nose when his hand moved to her hair, tangling in the curly strands at the base of her neck, holding her lips to his.

They'd shared tender kisses many times before, but this kiss was somehow different. She could feel the rest of her anger and her insecurities float away, leaving her with contentment. There was kindness in the kiss, an appreciation, and a chaste longing that she'd never shared with him before. There was sharing in that kiss and it confused her far more than any other that they'd ever had.

Hermione pulled away slowly and met his grey eyes again. There she studied him, trying to decipher what she could not grasp.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she whispered.

"Just let it be what it is." And with those as his parting words, he vanished from her dream.

* * *

**There you go - two chapters in one day. What did you think? **


	17. Something to Consider

"Just let it be what it is," Hermione repeated to herself for the dozenth time. _Just let it be what it is. What is that supposed to mean? _she asked herself again and again. Let them be what they've been for months or let the kiss be what it was? And if it was the kiss, what was the kiss supposed to mean?

"Let what be?" Ginny asked.

"What?" Hermione feigned ignorance, having forgotten her friend was still in the room.

"'Just let it be what it is.' That's what you said. Let what be?"

"Oh, I don't know, just... never mind. Not important."

"Right... So, you going to tell me what's happened between you and Malfoy?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play stupid, Hermione. It doesn't look good on you," Ginny teased. "You know I've been worried. I see a change in you. Something must have happened."

"He... I... We talked."

"Did you get back together?" she inquired further.

"I... I think so. Not exactly clear on that, to be honest."

"What happened then?"

Hermione nibbled her lip as she thought about it yet again. "I'm not sure, exactly. He apologized and I forgave him, but I really don't know where that leaves us."

"Did you kiss?"

"Yes."

"Well, that sounds like getting back together to me," she said with an encouraging smile.

_Oh, I wish it were that simple,_ Hermione thought to herself. He said they could never be just friends, but was she ready to be a non-attached lover again? Merlin, if not did it mean she wanted more?

"Hermione... that's a good thing, isn't it?" Ginny asked with concern. "I mean, is he good to you?"

Hermione pondered the question, for to her it seemed an odd one. "Yes... Yes." _At least, most of the time._

* * *

_Meet me in the classroom directly next to Ancient Runes after my class._

_HG_

Never right away. No, she couldn't speak to him the same moment that she slipped him the note. She had to make him wait until three o'clock. This was him, always waiting on that girl.

Draco arrived early, just in case, and spent twenty minutes pacing, thinking of what to say. Oh, he knew what he wanted to say. That question would be one of the first out of his mouth. First, of course he'd tell her off. Or perhaps, they'd skip to the snogging. He was still in the middle of deciding when his target slipped through the door, closing it gently behind her.

"'Bout time," he sneered.

Hermione huffed a sigh. Did he really have to be belligerent when it came to their conversations? "Drop the attitude, Draco, we talked just last night. Surely, you could wait-"

"Last night was not a conversation, it was a dream. We haven't talked in ages," he argued.

"We had a conversation in the dream."

"If I recall correctly, you denied that what happened in the dreams counted."

Hermione looked down at her toes. She hated losing arguments, especially to him. "Fair point."

"Still, it must have counted somehow, because you're here."

"It did. No matter how much I've denied it, you know they've always meant something. What happened last night really counted."

"You believe I'm sincere?"

"I've forgiven you, Draco. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be here."

"Good, now we can get to what's important - that Weasley chit."

"Her name's Ginny and if-"

Draco promptly cut off her rant. "The point, Granger: Is she going to squeal?"

"If she was going to, don't you think she would've by now?"

"Can't you ever give a straight answer?"

"Ginny's not going to tell anyone about us. She knows it would upset things and she doesn't want to mess up our... relationship."

"Our what?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Well, I wasn't going to tell her that we're only in it for sex. She assumes we're in a proper relationship and I'm not about to correct her."

"Us? In a proper relationship? How could she possibly-"

"Is it really that hard to believe, Malfoy? Am I really that horrible a person?"

Dangerous ground and an impossible question. Was it really that hard to believe they could ever have that kind of relationship?

She wasn't as bad as he'd once considered her, he supposed. She was intelligent, witty, kind, and he enjoyed their snarky banter. No, he supposed she wasn't the worst choice he could make, but still, she was Granger. The very idea of them sitting by a roaring fire sipping cocoa was ridiculous. Then again, they did share a bath with champagne. But they were friends. He could deal with that as long as they were shagging.

"I suppose not. I could do much worse."

She rolled her eyes at his response. "Regardless of what you think, Ginny believes it; considers us a good match even. Well, better than me and Ron anyway. Ron and I bickered worse than you and I do."

"Anyone would have been better than Weasley. Even daft Longbottom-"

"Hate to break it to you, but your opinion doesn't mean all that much to me."

"And yet you wonder what I think of you."

Hermione scowled and Draco recognized that dangerous ground again, a place he found himself treading far too frequently.

"And you're not concerned with what I think of you?" she countered.

"That's not the issue here. I want to be sure your dear Weaslette keeps her mouth shut about us."

"She's not a gossip and she'd never break my trust."

"Good."

"But it's something you're going to have to consider, Draco."

"What? " he gaped.

"Things aren't going to stay hidden forever," she explained. "With all of our secret meetings, like this one, people are bound to find out. We're lucky we weren't caught sooner."

Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione continued.

"And you have to think of the future. Even if we're not found out now, there's always after school. You made it pretty clear that you didn't want things to end at graduation. If we keep things going, how could we possibly keep it secret? We're friends, aren't we? Imagine us going out for a butterbeer some time. You think people wouldn't question it?"

"Granger-"

"It doesn't matter the nature of our relationship, people are going to find out and people are going to talk and you're going to have to decide if you can handle that."

Sweet Salazar, he'd never considered that. He'd decided months back that he wouldn't be able to give her up after graduation, but it never occurred to him what might happen to their relationship. He'd just imagined secret meetings. But where would their secret meetings take place? Her parents' home? Gods! _His_ home? The Weasleys' hole? Most likely a wizard inn. With gossip as big as it was in the Wizarding World and how recognizable they were, Harry Potter's best friend and the Malfoy heir, it'd quite likely make it to gossip circles, if not gossip rags.

His friends could probably accept it, even if they never understood, but his parents, his father... What would his father think? Honestly, he wasn't sure. He was sure his father would discourage a relationship with her, but would he outright forbid it? Lucius Malfoy, like him, had grown to accept that muggle-borns would always have a place in the Wizarding World, like it or not. But would he be able to accept his son dating one? Not that Draco would be, but that's how it would appear.

"Well?" Hermione asked.

"You can't expect me to answer that now," he said, scoffing at her.

"Yeah, well it's something you have to consider, because if you're not okay with that, then it'd be pointless for us to continue."

"Just to clarify, you're not suggesting we change the nature of this-"

"No!" she answered quickly. "But you have to understand that the world will think we're properly dating when it gets out. Consider that."

Hermione turned to go, but he caught her by the arm. "You're leaving already?"

"Essay due Friday."

Draco rolled his eyes. It was due in four days, but he stopped arguing long ago. After the first rule of "Tell no one" they're second condition was "Schoolwork first".

"When can we meet? We can still meet, can't we?" Draco asked, suddenly worried they'd have to talk again first.

"Oh, right... Tomorrow. Room of Requirement?"

Draco smirked. "My favorite. What time?"

"Nine o'clock."

"I look forward to it."

Oh, and he certainly did look forward to it, but her question was still niggling inside him. If he could handle people believing they were dating was one thing, but whether she realized it or not, that meant keeping up appearances. If they didn't want people to suspect a salacious relationship, they'd actually have to go on dates. Then it wouldn't be just about what people believed. He'd actually have to date her. Could he date Hermione Granger?

* * *

**Nope, not a couple yet. They're incredible in their ability to keep their sexual relationship just that... at least they think they are. ^^**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! **


	18. Define 'Dating'

He froze. Draco entered the room and froze. This wasn't right. Where was the bed and high arched windows? Where were the silky sheets and soft down comforter?

This wasn't right. Darkness cut by high flames in a cozy fireplace? A soft plush rug and squishy armchairs? And there Granger sat, in front of the fireplace in a tartan dressing gown looking toasty and comfortable with a cup of...

"Oh tell me that's not cocoa." It was his nightmare from just the day before. Romance.

Hermione turned from the fire and chuckled when she caught sight of the look of disgust on his face. "It's tea, but just what do you have against cocoa?"

"Where's the bed? What happened to this place? What-?"

"Relax, it's not what it looks like. I didn't think this place up. Well, not really. It was an accident."

"I thought this place turned into whatever you wanted," he countered.

"It does, and I tried to think of our usual room, but it didn't go right. I was positively frigid when pacing and when I opened the door this is what I found."

"Ever think of dressing warmer? You look rather dressed down in a robe."

"You're one to talk. I don't think I've ever seen you in pajamas before," she noted as she looked him over. His black cotton bottoms and matching jersey shirt helped him to blend into the darkness. It seemed to be his color, right along with the cliché green of his Slytherin house.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't the one that screwed up the room. Perhaps if you'd been wearing-"

"A parka wouldn't have helped. I'm frozen to the bone. Now shut up and get over here or let's do this another time."

Draco sighed as he made his way over to the fireplace and sat in front of the other armchair. "Why have chairs if you don't bother using them?"

"Typically, I would, but it's warmer like this," she explained, wiggling her bare toes out in front of her and warming her fingers with the cup in her hands.

"What's got you so frozen?"

"Hagrid," she sighed. "Professor Sprout asked if he could collect some Crispot Tubers and he asked me, Ron, and Harry to give him a hand. We were out in the Forbidden Forest for hours digging them up. Spring may be on the way, but it's certainly not here yet. I'm frozen through."

"Crispot Tubers - aren't those the potato like roots of a small tree? Couldn't that great..." Draco paused when he caught her threatening glare. 'Great oaf' was not the proper term to use for the half giant in Hermione's presence. "Isn't Hagrid big enough to just rip the trees from the ground?"

"He is and he did, but we still needed to use shovels to dig them out. Hours, Draco. I'm telling you, I'm frozen through and I can't remember ever feeling so sore in all my life," she pouted miserably.

"You know, your face is quite the turn-off when you contort it like that."

"Gee, thanks."

"Ever think of a hot bath?"

"I didn't have time. We got in just before curfew and I had just enough time for a quick shower. If anything, I just felt colder when I got out." She pouted again as she stared into her teacup.

Draco shook his head. He'd been ready to jump her the moment he walked in the room, but then... she just looked so pathetic.

"Here, give me your foot," he ordered. Hermione eyed him suspiciously, but placed one foot in his beckoning hand. Even after setting in front of the fire, her toes were cold to the touch. Hermione slumped against the chair in relief when he rubbed them between his warm hands.

"Gods, Granger, you'll be lucky not to catch a cold."

"Being cold doesn't mean you'll catch a cold, it just-"

"I didn't ask for a lesson. It's just something my mother always says," he said, a slight blush creeping across his cheeks.

"Oh... mine too."

Hermione hummed with pleasure as his warming motions transformed into firm massaging movements, easing away the ache in her arches.

"Mmm... you're good at that," she complimented, encouraging him to continue.

"I'm good at everything," he proclaimed.

Hermione kept her mouth shut against the retort that itched on her tongue and was rewarded as his hands moved up her calf. It tickled slightly, but the relief was so much greater. Draco watched as her eyes slid shut and she unwittingly hummed again. What started as a kindness was already turning into something quite sensual. She was smooth and soft to the touch and she was putty in his hands.

"Take off your dressing gown. Lay on your stomach." His commands were not cruel, nor were they soft. They were always the orders of someone used to telling others what to do, of someone who was followed without question. It was likely that, in his circle of friends, he was. Hermione struggled with obedience to him, as she did not appreciate being ordered about, but she found that he was often giving and kind when she did.

"Please," he added belatedly. It was not without struggle that they were adjusting to their tentative relationship -whatever it may be.

It was with deserved trust that she obeyed and undid the tie of her dressing gown. Draco groaned his desire quietly as the gown fell open to reveal her naked body. All that time, he'd been imagining a horrid, frumpy nightgown and she'd been ready for him the entire time.

"I told you that I only just had time for a shower. I thought it a waste to get dressed," she explained.

"Right... lay down."

Hermione blushed and nibbled her lip as she submitted, lying before him with her front pressed against the soft fluffy carpet and her hands folded beneath her cheek. Draco took a moment to simply drink her in. Her body completely exposed to him. Her soft skin illuminated by the flickering glow of the fire. Almost any man would call her desirable, but to him she appeared the body of perfection. Of all the girls in school, none held a candle to her. She was his desire.

Rubbing his hands together to be certain they'd be warm, he considered where and how to start. What did Randy Man say about massage? Nothing. But he didn't need Randy Man for everything. As quickly as it came to mind, a bottle appeared at the side of his knee. He smirked when he read the label: massage oil. The Room of Requirement was most certainly his favorite meeting place.

Hermione turned her head to look at him and let out a small gasp when she felt a warm drizzle start at her shoulders and a zigzag line drawn down her back. Draco's hands slowly and gently made long firm caresses, moving up the center and pulling slowly down her sides.

"Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere," Hermione whinged. "But especially around my shoulders and the middle of my back."

Taking his cue, Draco knelt at her hip, placed both hands upon her shoulders, and began massaging her muscles with his thumbs, moving to all the places she needed most tended. Despite his inexperience, his hands were skilled in their movements, never pushing too hard or pinching at her skin.

Hermione moaned beneath his palms. "Where did you learn to do this?"

"Mother dragged me to a spa in Diagon Alley once," he answered quietly, so not to break the trance he was putting them in. "After one massage, she never had to _drag_ me again."

Hermione frowned. The image of him beneath the touch of another woman, no matter how professional, caused a small twinge of jealousy. The emotion vanished quickly before she had the opportunity to examine it more closely. The skill of his hands pulled all but pleasant thoughts from her mind.

Moving downward from her shoulders once more, Draco watched the skin move under his palms, ceasing only when he caught their position, resting open upon her bum. He paused only a moment and Hermione moaned again as he massaged her buttocks and rubbed firmly on her upper thighs.

"Tell me, just how wet are you for me, Hermione?"

Hermione shivered at the sound of her name and seductive voice in which he spoke it. Oh, how she wanted to reply, but felt herself unable to speak as she longed for more of his touch. In need of no response, Draco's hand slipped up the inside of her thigh and parted her lower lips. They moaned in unison when his fingers met her slick walls and he delved slowly into her.

"You have no idea what you do to me," she said quietly, pining for him, so much more than she acknowledged to herself.

"Oh, I do, Granger," came his reply. "Because I want you just as badly."

As Draco pulled out, Hermione rolled over to face him. His eyes were aflame with lust as he eyed her, unconsciously rubbing his erection through the cotton of his pajamas. Hermione rose to her knees and inched toward him. The moment she was within reach, his hands were on her hips, urging her closer still.

"Gods, just to look at you..." Draco's lips descended upon her throat with open mouth kisses, tasting her skin as though ready to devour her. Hermione hummed her approval as her hands stroked his chest, inching his shirt upward as she went. Impatient with the garments blocking him from her, Draco ripped the shirt off over his head and tossed it into the shadows. Her lips were instantly upon his in a frenzy of desperation. He didn't tease, she knew, but foreplay itself was becoming a tease. One tug at his waistband was all he needed to be persuaded. He shoved down both his pajamas and boxers and sat down on his bottom to slip them off his feet. As nude as his partner, he beckoned her forward.

Hermione climbed onto his lap and reached between their bodies to gently stroke his length. Draco's hands roved restlessly over her body before settling on her breasts. He moaned along with her as he took one nipple into his mouth.

"Now. I can't wait," he pleaded. Raising herself up, Hermione positioned him at her entrance and slowly brought herself down upon him. Her weight settled on him and he filled her completely. Both sat in still silence, savoring the feeling of their joining.

"I never feel so right as when I'm inside you," Draco admitted in the haze of sensation. Hermione's heart raced as she was hit with his statement: neither did she. Merlin, she couldn't give him up. Graduation was a mere two and a half months away. They couldn't possibly stop their meetings then. She needed this and so did he.

Draco raised his hips, bringing her out of her sudden thoughts and back to the moment. Raising herself up fully, she impaled herself on him again. Circling her hips in steady motion, she ground herself against him. Draco growled in response, peppering kisses everywhere within his reach. With masculine hands, his gripped her arse, assisting her movements as she rode his thick, hard cock. Staving off his approaching climax the best he could, he pleaded with her, "Come for me, Hermione."

Her name, uttered for the second time that evening. Her heart fluttered and her hips jerked, as the walls of her canal clenched his length. Draco bucked beneath her and grunted as he reached his own completion, all to the sound of his name called from her delicious lips. Hermione rode him still, riding the waves of pleasure that continued, milking him for every drop. His body jerked involuntarily, overcome by sensation as her post coitus waves of spasms continued every couple seconds.

"Gods, I swear, you're the sexiest woman alive." Oh, the words that left his mouth in those moments. Only uttered in those moments.

"You're not bad yourself," she teased, placing a kiss behind his ear.

When the moment slowly subsided, Hermione bashfully took to her feet in search of her robe. As her thoughts of not being able to quit him returned, she searched for the security of her robe. Draco, however, could only muster enough strength to scoot himself back against the nearest armchair.

"You alright?"

Hermione nodded in reply, her smile returning at his look of exhaustion. He was gorgeous at the best of times, but all the more so after sex when he looked utterly spent and content. He peeked one eye open and smirked when he caught her looking at him.

"Warm now?"

She chuckled and grinned broadly. "And quite sated."

"Good. Just next time, tell that great oaf to go-"

"Draco," she scolded sternly.

"So much for continued playfulness," he muttered. "Sorry."

Hermione nodded, accepting and appreciating his apology, despite knowing that he'd continue to refer to her friend in the same way.

"Granger, I have a question for you."

_Back to 'Granger'_, she sighed. "Yeah?"

"How do you define 'dating'?"

"D-dating?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes, dating. How do you define it?"

"Well, the simple definition is 'to go out socially on dates."

"I didn't ask for the simple definition. I asked for _your_ definition. What are some key elements of dating?"

"I, erm... I guess the first thing I think of is sharing meals together or going out for a drink."

"Go on."

"Well... they tend to give each other gifts on special occasions, share kisses and other intimate things. In a good relationship, a person might join in an activity that interests the other, even if it doesn't necessarily interest them. They talk openly about important things and simple casual things. I guess simply, they enjoy being in each other's company."

"Okay, now tell me how that differs from you and Potter's relationship."

"What?! You don't think that-"

"I believe you when you say you've never been in a relationship with him. Just answer the question."

"Well, I've never kissed him," she stated, still riled up by what she thought to be an insinuation. "We've we've certainly never done anything more intimate."

"And everything else?"

"We're friends. Just friends."

"Exactly," Draco confirmed as if making a point.

"_And?_"

"And, you've just given me the equation: dating equals friendship plus kissing and sex."

Hermione paled instantly. Did she? Oh gods, she and Draco weren't dating, were they?

"Relax, Granger. We both know that's not us. I'm just trying to figure this all out. There's obviously something different between friends with benefits and a dating relationship, I just haven't figured it out yet," he explained.

"Love," she offered as though it was obvious.

"Love is indefinable and impossible to prove, therefore irrelevant," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "You're right that people will suspect us of a genuine relationship when this thing we've got gets out. If we don't want them coming to realize just what it is, then we're going to have to keep up appearances. The only thing is, it already appears that way."

"What do you mean? We're never seen together."

"We have all the characteristics of a _secret_ relationship. When it comes out, we'll appear as expected."

"Okay... so you're suggesting?"

"We're going to work on this friendship thing. You might pass as a standard friend to some Slytherins and Ravenclaws, but Gryffindor and Hufflepuff will never believe it."

"What does that mean?" she asked, somewhat offended. She watched from her chair as he collected his clothing from around the room.

"They're all about warm fuzzy feelings. Hanging out and being snarky doesn't cut it. They think it cold."

"So, you're suggesting...?"

"Next time we meet, it's as friends. Just friends and just once. I'll have it more figured out then," Draco decided. "Saturday. I'll give you a place and time later on."

"It's still a secret meeting, right?"

"Of course! This isn't getting out yet. Not if we can help it." Draco moved to the door and stopped, drinking in the sight of the girl in front of the fireplace. "Been fun, Hermione."

Left alone once again, Hermione sighed. As if things weren't strange enough as they were, they just got weirder.

* * *

**They're good at keeping their sexual activities separate from their feelings, but I still cry ****_'denial'_****!**


	19. Establishing Friendship

A picnic. A picnic? The thought baffled her. It was his idea, not hers, and it was just _weird_. She doubted that he'd ever even been on a picnic. He was obviously quite confused as to how to proceed with their strange friendship. Hermione shook her head in amusement as she packed a red and gold blanket into her basket. He'd sneer at it, but it was the only option available to her.

It might have been his idea, but it went without saying that she was responsible for the preparations. It wasn't that he was incapable... Well, that was exactly it, actually. She had yet to tell him the location of the kitchen, afraid how he might abuse the house-elves with outrageous requests. She felt guilty herself, taking advantage of their kindness and generosity, but she justified it by taking extra time to speak to them about S.P.E.W. and how she could assist them in pursuing their freedom or at least asking for wages.

Satisfied with her packing, Hermione slung the basket into the crook of her elbow and headed down to the Gryffindor common room. She realized her mistake as soon as she stepped off the bottom stair. She should have hidden the basket.

"Having a picnic?" Neville asked casually.

"No! I mean, er, yes. Just seems like a good day for one, spring making an appearance and all."

"Still a bit cold for my taste," he shrugged.

"Meeting anyone special?" Ginny asked, getting up from a nearby table. Her knowing smile made Hermione even more uncomfortable, as did Neville's growing curiosity. Hermione shot her a quick warning glare, but continued as casually as she could.

"No, just me. Might be a bit chilly still, but nothing a light cloak won't block out. Thought it might be a peaceful way to study. It gets a bit busy in here." There. One fib perhaps, but not a complete lie. She knew she'd be there before Draco, if he even decided to show, and she did pack her ancient runes book to study if he didn't come. "Anyway, I should get going while the sun's still shining. Never know if it will stay out." Hermione chuckled nervously and shuffled away before either of them could ask any more questions. She had such a hard time playing it cool at times and Ginny certainly didn't help. Hermione and Draco had been able to keep their secret for months. It wouldn't do to mess things up now.

* * *

Hermione was studying when he arrived, had been for awhile, enjoying the sunshine and the view of the lake while relaxing on the blanket. When she heard a twig snap, she turned around instantly, worried it might be someone other than Draco. She knew she shouldn't worry. Draco had chosen a perfect hill, far enough from the school and hidden from sight by another. A perfect place for a secret picnic. Secret, always secret, even if it was just meant to be friendly. _Friendly_, such an odd concept for them. Being friends was one thing, being friendly was another.

"Thought you might not come," she said by way of greeting.

"When don't I?" he countered.

Hermione shrugged. It was true. Never once had he stood her up, but never once had he suggested simply talking either. Quite the opposite, he usually discouraged it.

"Here," he said, producing a small bouquet of daffodils from behind his back and thrusting them out to her.

Hermione laughed out loud and forced herself to stop when she saw his deep scowl. "Flowers? A bit romantic, don't you think?" she said, remembering the field of wildflowers he once created in a dream.

"I was thinking friendly, but perhaps," he practically snarled, obviously displeased with his gesture and her response.

"Have you ever given flowers to your other friends?" she asked curiously.

"They're all guys, Granger. Except for Pansy and I'd never think of such a thing for her. I was trying to think Gryffindor."

"Harry and Ron have never given me flowers, not even when Ron and I were dating," she informed him. "But, it's a sweet gesture."

"I promise you, sweet was not what I intended," he assured her as he took a seat on the blanket and sneered at the colors.

"Look, Draco, we don't have to do anything that makes you feel awkward. It might look less real if you treat me any differently than you treat your other friends."

"I'm telling you, Granger, things with my friends are different than your kind of friendship."

"You obviously don't know what my friendships are like either. We don't sit around holding hands and singing, you know."

"My friends are hardly what you'd consider friends though. We may not even call ourselves such."

"What do you mean you might not even call them friends? I mean, I can see you're friends with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy."

"Pansy, yes, but Crabbe and Goyle?" He shrugged indifferently. "They follow me around and do what I say. They don't do much talking, and I'm still not sure they keep up when I'm talking."

"Not friends then?" she asked in confusion.

"We hang out, they follow me where I go. I know they've got my back, but that doesn't mean I've always got theirs."

"And Pansy?" she asked with great curiosity. She knew that they'd had some sort of sexual something, but she wasn't sure just how deep it went.

"We've known each other as long as I can remember. She's more interesting than anyone else I know, but she's still irksome at times."

"You'd back her up though." Hermione had seen it many times before. "I haven't seen a time when you didn't."

"No one insults her," he replied fiercely.

"She's a true friend then. But your relationship went deeper than that at one time, didn't it?" Hermione bit her lip, wondering if she was going too far. "You claim you're new to dating, but-?"

"It wasn't dating," he argued. "Just like us Granger, we were friends that went a bit further. Whatever it is we're missing, Pansy and I were missing it, too. She favored me once and we had drunken... I don't even think of it as sex, but a sexual failure. But, we've gone through this before - we _don't_ talk about it."

"Still, it seems similar to us. We could just have that kind of relationship, couldn't we?"

"If you want to look like a slut to your friends, sure," Draco offered, his lip curled in disgust.

Hermione's mouth hung open in disbelief. She knew he was discouraging that image, but she never once thought that word for herself.

"I can play the part of a better friend and we could appear more like a couple, but you're right, I don't know what your friendships are like," he admitted grudgingly. It was a truth he'd never reveal, but he sometimes envied the closeness he saw in others' friendships. It was something he never knew. "So what would convince Potter and Weasley?"

"Well, my name might be a start..." she offered. "They probably won't be near when we start 'dating' after school though, assuming we can keep it hidden 'til then."

"I could try that, but don't you think they'll ask questions about me? Don't you think they'll expect you to know things about me?"

"Ginny might, but I doubt anyone will quiz me. Just what do you expect me to know?"

"Something. Anything. Besides what I like in bed, I mean."

"I know things about you," she replied, obviously quite affronted.

"Like what?" His chin tipped up as he looked at her skeptically.

"Erm... You're an only child..."

"Everyone knows that, Gr-_Hermione_."

"I wasn't finished. Erm... Your favorite color is green."

"I'm Slytherin, it's an easy guess."

"It's not because of Slytherin that I know that. Your boxers are often green, something no one else sees, but still your preference. You like to see it on me. You obviously like how it looks on you. It's the color of your bubbles in the bath. It's apparent to me that you favor it. Your favorite food, at least one of them, is scones with jam and cream, raspberry being your favorite jam. "

"How did you-?"

"You know I steal glances at you in the Great Hall and you have it every morning. You even told me once that it's not a good day until you've had a scone. You also appreciate treacle tart, just like Harry."

Draco's lips were parted as he sat in a stunned stupor at the idea that she knew him so well.

"I'm not certain, but I'd wager that your favorite author is Henrik Goddard. You've at least read a few of his books, as you've quoted him on more than one occasion." Hermione smiled proudly at the way he stared speechlessly. The moment was broken after that though when a small smile broke over his face, too.

"Perhaps one of my favorites, I'll give you that, but my favorite author, you'll never know." Draco's smile was at the thought of Randy Man's Playbook, a secret he'd never reveal.

"You know, you're not the only observant one," he claimed. "I suppose I could wager some guesses about you, too. You're favorite color is plum, isn't it? Your favorite panty set and the color of your winter hat and scarf. You like strawberries. It's even the flavor of your lip gloss. You often carry chocolate in a pocket in your school bag; Chocoballs from Honeydukes, most frequently."

"I knew it! You've been stealing some, haven't you?"

"I like to think of it as you generously sharing," he said with a smirk and a chuckle.

Hermione shook her head in amusement. It was just like him to call it that. "Favorite author?" she teased.

"Impossible to tell with you. You've got a new one in your bag all the time."

"And just how often do you go through my bag?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "_When_ do you go through my bag?"

"I planted lingerie in your bag for two weeks straight. You don't think I was curious enough to peek at what else you had in there?"

"Yes, I've been meaning to ask that, too. Just how did you manage that?"

"Secrets. It doesn't matter how I've come to trust you, there's no way I'm revealing that one." The book would surely disappear if he did. An advanced banishing charm from Randy Man as well as a revealing spell guaranteed it. The playbook held far more than just naughty secrets.

"This, Draco," Hermione smiled warmly as the thought occurred to her. "This is friendship. Getting to know one another, playful teasing, talking casually. You make it seem like you don't know how to do it, but I happen to think we make good friends. We could easily fill a date with conversation like this."

"But, it's not real though," he insisted, frightened by the thought of something more. "Friends with benefits, that's what we are."

"Love. That indefinable thing," she reminded him, "neither of us are looking for that. Just friends with benefits."

"Speaking of those benefits..." he smirked as he scooted closer and placed a hand on her thigh.

"Bit cold out here for that, don't you think?"

"Oh, I'll keep you warm."

Hermione bit her lip at his wicked promise. She had always dreamed of doing it outside...

* * *

**More to come soon. ^^**


	20. Truth Will Out

Under the warmth of a down comforter, Draco lay comfortably between Hermione legs. Influenced by the blazing fire (a new standard added to their comfortable bedroom in the Room of Requirement), their sated state, and the softness of the bed, they found themselves drowsy. Draco caressed her gently as he continued placing tender kisses upon her stomach.

"I told you, it doesn't matter what you do, I'm not up to another round." She felt Draco's lip curl in dissatisfaction, but he didn't cease in his pursuit. "Now, under Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, is it possible to multiply food?"

"It's not under Gamp's law, which says one can't conjure food from thin air, but yes you can multiply food if the resources are within range of one's magical ability," Draco drawled in agitation.

"Good," Hermione yawned.

Draco retrieved his wand from the other side of the bed and with a small flick and a silent levitation spell, moved Hermione's book off her bare chest and made it float above her head. With an extra spell, he charmed the book to stay open before she had the chance to protest. She sighed at his persistence, but continued quizzing him. "When transfiguring a fox, does one do so as one would a dog, a cat, or a weasel?"

"A dog, Hermione, and I don't see," - Draco squirmed higher between her legs and began placing kisses upon her breasts - "why we need to do this right now. You know that we're both-"

"Not prepared enough," Hermione interrupted. "Holidays are just around the corner and you know Professor McGonagall will make the exam quite difficult to keep us on our toes."

"We've studied enough," he argued, licking her nipple until it peaked to a hardened bud. "We're the brightest in our classes. We'll do fine." Draco stifled a yawn then proceeded to take her breast into his mouth.

Hermione gasped and rudely pushed his head away. "I mean it, Draco. Enough for tonight."

Resigning with a sigh, Draco laid his head down on her, pillowed by her supple breast, and continued drawing meaningless designs on her stomach with his fingers. "Continue then, oh studious one. Let's get this over with."

Hermione yawned once more, hiding it behind her hand as she turned the page with her other. The words were blurring on the pages and she was finding it more and more difficult to keep her thoughts on task. "When conjuring a glass object... one must always... use..." Hermione's voice slowly drifted off and she with it as sleep washed over her. Draco's breathing slowed with hers and he was soon asleep atop her warm soft body.

* * *

Hermione blinked her eyes open, squinting against the light, and looked down at the boy sleeping next to her with one arm and leg draped over her. His mouth was open and a tiny spot of drool stained the pillow just below his bottom lip.

_Oh, how humiliated he would be_, she thought. He was adorable as he slept, but he would hate for her to think of him in such a way. With a jolt, it hit her. They'd fallen asleep. It wasn't the first time, but it was most certainly the first time they'd been greeted by sunshine though the windows. It was morning. _Morning!_

"Draco, wake up!" she ordered, quickly sitting up in bed. Draco blinked awake, but she was impatient. "Now, Draco! It's morning!"

"So?" he mumbled moodily.

"So?! We've been missing from our beds all night! You think that will go unnoticed?!"

That got his attention. He sat up in bed, watching the frantic girl as she quickly gathered her clothing and put them on at record speed.

"Make something up," he commanded unnecessarily.

"Of course I'm going to make something up! Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Look, it will be fine. I'll make something up for my friends, you cook up something believable for your friends, and no one will ever have to know that we were both missing."

"This is dangerous ground... We are so-"

"Fine, so long as you stop panicking. Now, you're freaking me out. Just calm down. If you look panicked they'll suspect something."

"Not because I'm panicking. I've fallen asleep in the library before and panicked just as badly."

"Perfect excuse then," he noted as he slipped his trousers over his boxers. "Just get going. And don't let anyone see you leave this room."

"Same for you."

Panicked. Panicked. Panicked for good reason, but she knew she was probably blowing things out of proportion.

"Hermione!" Harry and Ron called together as they leapt out of their seats by the fire.

"We've been worried sick!" Harry scolded.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" Ron demanded, shaking Lavender off his arm and joining Harry in cornering Hermione near the portrait hole.

"I-I... I was studying for our upcoming Transfiguration exam and I-"

"In the library?" Harry asked, cutting her off.

"Y-yes."

"You lie!" Ron accused her.

"We checked the map as soon as Lavender told us you didn't go to bed last night," Harry explained in a lower voice. "You weren't anywhere on there."

"I-"

"You've been lying to us, Hermione," Harry said with obvious disappointment. "We know you've been staying out, for months even."

"We thought you were doing work, but we figured it out nearly a month ago. We know you've gotta be seeing someone and this just proves it."

"Wh-what? Th-this proves nothing like that. I could-"

"_Could_. That's what proves it," Harry cut her off again. "We've tried to be patient, but we've run out. You're seeing someone secretly, aren't you?"

"And we've no idea why you're lying about it. We tried to convince ourselves you weren't, but you are. Why hide it? When have Harry or I ever hidden anything like this from you?"

Hermione's panic abated momentarily as that very thing came to mind. "You. You have, Ron Weasley. I watched for weeks while you hid your relationship with Lavender. How is this any different?"

"I... I..." he stammered before allowing his previous ire to return. "Yeah, but you've been doing it for months!"

"I just don't get it..." Harry said quietly. "We're your friends. Why would you think you had to hide a boyfriend?"

"B-because..." Hermione answered quietly.

"Because you think we won't approve?" asked Harry, full of disappointment and concern. "We're your friends, Hermione. We're here to support you in whatever-"

"You won't," Hermione confirmed. "You won't and I..." Her eyes filled with tears and she realized it was over. She couldn't hide it any longer and it was coming out in the worst way.

"Of course we wi-"

"It's Draco," she stated in a nearly inaudible voice.

"What?!" Ron barked incredulously. "Malfoy?! That... That-"

"You're joking," Harry said quietly, praying that she was. "Merlin, tell me you're joking."

"I... I..."

"Malfoy?!" Ron repeated. "Of all people, Malfoy?!"

"Ron, keep your voice down!" Hermione scolded in a harsh whisper as she glanced around the room at the group of people beginning to take interest.

"Keep my voice down?! Is that all you can say? What the bloody fuck are you thinking?! Oh gods, you're not sleeping with him, are you?"

"Ron!" she scolded again.

"Merlin, you are, aren't you? Sleeping with that greasy little fer-"

"Shut up, Ron! It's none of your business what I'm doing with him."

"And just what is that?" Harry asked in disgust. "What on earth are you doing with the guy that's taunted you since first year? The guy who's been nothing but cruel to-"

"He's not cruel," Hermione interrupted. "He may not have always been nice to us, but he's not cruel."

"And when he nearly got Hagrid sacked and Buckbeak killed?" Harry countered angrily.

"Okay, maybe then," she admitted, "but he's changed. I swear, he's not nearly as bad as you think he is. In fact-"

"You've lost it," Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You've completely lost it. Has he...? Merlin, has he got you under a spell? A love potion, that's what it is! That sneaky little-"

"I'm not under a love potion," she denied angrily. "He hasn't done a thing to me. He's just not the person we thought he was. We've spent a lot of time together and I-"

"Hermione, this is insane," Harry declared. "Absolutely insane. You're not thinking correctly. He's-"

"He's been seeing her for months," Ginny stated as she joined the conversation, standing strategically to block Hermione better from the prying eyes around her.

"You knew?!" shrieked Ron.

"Yes," she answered plainly. "And he makes her happy. You can't deny that she's seemed-"

"You knew?" Ron repeated.

"Yes! And from what I've seen and heard, they seem to be good for one another."

"Just what _have_ you seen?" Ron's disgust couldn't be more apparent.

"I've seen the way they look at each other in the corridors and the Great Hall. He's sweet on her; most obviously enamored. There's nothing devious about it. If you-"

"That's it, Harry," Ron shook his head, unwilling to hear another word of it. "These girls are ridiculous. I say we go talk to the ferret himself."

Harry looked back and forth between the two girls before silently nodding in agreement. Draco Malfoy had some explaining to do.

* * *

"I'm not asking again, Malfoy: What the fuck do you think you're playing at?" Ron tightened his grip on Draco's collar and shoved him against the wall again.

Draco turned his head, disgusted by his proximity to the Weasel's freckled face. His fists clenched tightly against his urges to sock the boy in his long nose, his eye, his jaw... Images of the many opportunities flashed through his mind, along with the many hexes and even a few curses he'd love to perform. And yet, he refrained. He refrained for Hermione. She might be a forgiving person, but she might never forgive him if he destroyed her _dearest_ friends.

"Get the fuck out of my face, Weasley. I don't answer to you."

"Just answer the question, Malfoy!" Harry ordered.

"You may have to repeat it, Potter. I don't speak weasel."

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing with Hermione?!" Ron bellowed, slamming him roughly against the cold, stone dungeon wall again.

Draco kept his eyes off the passing students and others that paused to gawk openly. Despite the early hour, there seemed to be quite a few of them.

It was humiliating, absolutely mortifying to take the abuse, but it wasn't like he hadn't planned for it. He knew that if it got out, he would surely be threatened. The only difference was that he had originally planned to fight back. Draco Malfoy - degraded for the sake of a girl... Disgusting.

"I don't have to answer to you or anyone," he growled through clenched teeth.

"You! You-"

"You've talked to Hermione, I'm sure. I've nothing to add. Now get the fuck off me."

"Just what are you doing, Malfoy?" Harry asked in a steady voice. "You've done something to her. You've persuaded her somehow. Just what are you doing? Playing some-"

"I'm not playing any bloody game, Potter. I-I like her," he grumbled in a low voice.

"What a load of shite!" Ron snarled. "You've hated her for years. You've called her names and hexed her in the halls and expect us to believe that now you fancy her."

Draco's fingers itched for his wand as they hovered over his wand pocket. He didn't need to be reminded of how he'd treated her in the past. Being forced to remember only caused him to become more infuriated.

"Believe what you want. You will anyway. I don't have to answer to you and if you don't bloody like it then just… Fuck. Off!"

"I'd much rather fuck up your face you bloody-"

"Ron," Harry warned, forcing him to let go of Draco.

"W-what are you-?"

"I don't like him any more than you do... but Hermione..." Harry heaved a great sigh. "Whatever the reason... Godric, I can't even say it."

"You mean you really think she fancies him?" Ron said in disbelief.

"I don't like it, but I think she must." Harry looked away from Draco, unable to stand the sight of him.

"And him?" asked Ron. "You think he really-?"

"Doesn't matter. Just..." Harry turned again to stare Draco fiercely in the eye. "I swear to God, Malfoy, if you hurt her, I promise you there isn't a miracle cure in the world that will rid the hexes we use on you. They'll be a line a mile long to curse you and I'll be at the front."

"Good to know," Draco sneered. He may have acted like the threat had no effect on him, but it was the first time the truth actually hit him. He knew there'd be threats, but he had never imagined the extent or the seriousness of them. Potter was right. All of Gryffindor and many from the other houses would gladly have at him if he hurt their beloved bookworm princess. But, he could never do that, break her heart as they believed him capable of. For that he'd have to have her heart, something their relationship did not allow.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Snape's voice preceded him as he made his way toward them down the corridor. "Are Potter and Weasley causing a disturbance here?"

Harry and Ron glared at Draco and he scowled back just as deeply. "No, sir," Draco answered. "Just having a... chat."

"Well, if you're through with your _chat_, I suggest the three of you move along so that the rest of the crowd might." It was obvious that the professor was disappointed by the lost chance of punishing the two Gryffindors, but more still, he was curious by Draco's denial.

Potter and Weasley left and Draco immediately adjusted his collar. If Hermione didn't reward him handsomely for his restraint... No appropriate threat came to mind. Oh, she just better make it worth it.

* * *

**It had to happen eventually. **

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	21. Opposition

"Really, Draco? I just can't..." Pansy shook her head as she stared at the blond across the table. "I knew you had something going with someone, but Granger? _Granger?_"

Draco avoided her gaze and continued to spread raspberry jam upon his scone. "Drop it, Pansy."

"You're a catch and you know it. With your charm I've been sure that you could get nearly any girl in school, and you chose _her_?"

"I said to drop it."

"I most certainly will not. Have you even thought this through? This is _Granger_ we're talking about. The girl you've hated since the start. The bloody prim and proper, know-it-all..." At Draco's glare she paused in her insult and amended her previous thought to finish with, "swot."

"I know who she is," Draco grumbled, "and far better than you do."

"Sweet Salazar, this isn't just a fling then, is it?" Pansy gaped openly. "You can't really... _like_ her, can you?"

"Pansy, if you don't drop it now..."

"Fine," she resigned with a huff. "But I still think you've lost it."

Draco glanced up and immediately found Hermione across the Great Hall. She looked miserable as she kept her head bowed and played with her oatmeal. Potter merely looked disappointed and concerned, while Weasley still looked furious. At least she had Ginny. Hermione deserved one friend to stand beside her. Draco knew he wouldn't have one. Pansy, like most, was mostly shocked. The idea, to her, was ridiculous. She would never disown him for it, but there was no way she'd be supportive either. And those two dumb lumps, Crabbe and Goyle... Draco looked up at the pair who appeared to be as stunned as they were when they first heard. They were at least smart enough to keep their mouths shut.

Just as Draco took a bite of his scone, a large parliament of owls flew through the high open windows, bringing with them the mail and _Daily Prophets_ to those who subscribed. He was just about to catch his own newspaper as it fell toward him when a large eagle owl swooped in first and dropped an envelope in front of his plate. Even with his seeker reflexes, he fumbled as he caught the newspaper and his heart thudded in his chest. He knew just what that envelope was and looked furiously at each of his friends.

"Who did it?" he asked dangerously. "Which of you dumb fuckers ratted to my father?"

Crabbe and Goyle's brows rose comically in their obvious fear and quickly shook their heads. Draco's eyes narrowed at Pansy, speaking the most hostile threats.

"Don't you dare accuse me of such a thing, Draco Malfoy," she snapped. Her lips pursed as she glared at him in return.

Draco looked next at Blaise Zabini, a boy he _almost_ considered a friend. He shared good enough conversation, but they had never shared much trust or time in each other's company outside of meals.

"Fuck off, Malfoy," the boy answered to the unasked question. "I don't give a damn what you do with the mudblood, so long as-" Draco was on his feet in a heartbeat, his wand already drawn.

"Draco, sit down!" Pansy commanded.

Draco spared her only a glance before returning his glare to the dark-skinned boy across the table. Blaise looked merely bored at the obvious threat.

"Draco, he doesn't care alright? And it wasn't him."

"Don't you dare call her that."

"Draco, it was Snape," Pansy whispered harshly.

Her words broke through to him, but he did not waver as he stared Blaise down.

"Draco Malfoy, sit down!" Pansy hissed again. "It wasn't him so just-"

"Never again, Zabini. I don't want to hear you call her that ever again," he muttered darkly.

"Fine, Malfoy. Just sit the fuck down and put your wand away. You're making a bloody scene."

Draco put his wand away and looked up at the staff table as he took his seat. Several teachers were on their feet and obviously ready to interfere, but Draco's eyes trained on Snape, who remained seated, his eyes narrowed as he regarded the blond Slytherin.

"What makes you think it was Snape?" Draco asked.

"The look about him when you stood up. He just looked..." Pansy shook her head. "It would make sense though. He's friends with your parents and who else would rat to your father? Seriously, do you think any of your friends would risk writing him with news like that? He'd likely not believe any of us, and even Crabbe and Goyle aren't stupid enough to make a move like that."

Draco glared at his head of house again. With a deep sigh and even deeper sense of dread, Draco opened the letter.

* * *

"That greasy, fucking, rat bastard, arse..."

"Fink?" Hermione supplied.

"Is that really the best you can do?" Draco asked, rounding on her.

Hermione sighed and sunk deeper into the armchair before the fire.

"I'm sorry, Draco. You have no idea just how sorry I am. I never meant to-"

"Would you stop apologizing?" he said angrily. "I get it. I told you it's fine."

"Fine?"

"Yes, fine!" Putting his anger in check, he returned to his pacing and anxiously ran a hand through his hair. "We knew it would get out and we knew it wouldn't be easy. It's just that I had already written a letter to my father explaining things and it's too late now to send it. Who knows what Snape told him? How the hell did he even get it to him so quickly?"

"He could have called via floo," Hermione quietly offered, afraid to further provoke his ire.

"Yeah... I'm not sure if that's better or worse."

Hermione nearly apologized again and pressed her lips closed against it.

"He could kill me. He could very well bloody murder me."

"It doesn't seem quite that bad." Hermione eyed the Malfoy seal on the envelope before returning to the letter and rereading some of the passages that most stood out. "He calls me an 'interesting choice.' I've been called much worse than that on a good day."

"You don't know my father. 'Interesting choice' means 'bad choice'. My father's disappointed and that's never a good thing. 'We'll talk when you get home for the holidays' scares the hell out of me."

"What will he do? Will you be punished?" Hermione worried. She knew his father wouldn't accept it well, but she never imagined the man telling him off, let alone becoming violent toward his son.

"He won't hurt me, if that's what you're thinking, but my father... You don't understand. When my father's displeased... That's it, I suppose. I just can't stand it when he's displeased. He gets this look..." Draco shook his head, blocking against the image. "He stops speaking to me. Can't look at me. It's like I'm not even his son anymore."

"Oh, Draco..."

"Stop it, Hermione. I don't want your pity. You don't have it easy either."

"My friends will get over it," she said, nibbling her lip and looking over the letter again to take her mind off them. "It says here that he 'can't wait to meet this famed Miss Granger.' He doesn't actually mean that, does he?"

"Oh yes, he does. It means he wants to appraise you himself."

"Seriously?" A small wave of panic rushed through her. Meet Lucius Malfoy properly? Could she? _Would_ she? It was most definitely not part of the relationship she had signed up for. "What about your mother?"

"Mother?" Draco asked, as if considering her for the first time. "She might be disappointed, but she'd never..."

"Question you judgment?"

"Oh, certainly she will, but just not to my face like my father. I suppose that's what I mean."

"Draco... are you going to be okay with this? I mean... we could always give this up," she said tentatively.

"Never!" he answered fiercely.

Hermione was stunned by the ferocity of his response, but it made her heart flutter. Never? Never ever? Was that a commitment? A commitment to what though? Their 'benefits'? Their farce of a relationship? To _her_? 'Never' was a frightening response. He'd told her once before that he never wanted to stop and teased that they'd continue 'as long as she was sexy.' The concern was, she'd never decided how long she wanted to continue. Surely she'd want a real, stable, healthy relationship at some point. She'd want love - something Draco considered 'indefinable and impossible to prove.'

"I'm sorry," he apologized, stepping toward her chair. "I don't mean to scare you. He might not approve of you, but he'll never be cruel toward you. He's too proud for that."

"Y-you want me to meet him then?"

"Well, I..." Draco ran his hand through his hair again.

"He won't leave you be until he meets me, will he?"

Draco shook his head in confirmation.

Hermione swallowed hard. "O-Over the holidays then?"

"Would you? I mean, you didn't sign up for this mess..."

"Yes, I did. We both did." Hermione tugged at her hair nervously. "We knew things would be difficult if it got out. We agreed to continue despite it. If this is part of it... Okay. Over the holidays."

"I won't have to meet your parents, will I?"

"Thank Merlin, no. Well, at least I hope not. I'll obviously have to tell them if I plan on meeting up with you, but I'm sure I can talk them out of meeting you."

"Do you think it's worth it?" he asked anxiously.

"Meeting your parents?"

"Everything," he clarified. "Is sex worth it?"

"Sex and _a friendship_," she reminded him. A wicked grin then crossed her face and she nibbled her lip in a seductive manner. "And I don't know... perhaps you'll have to remind me of what we're fighting for."

A smirk tugged at the corner of Draco's mouth and he helped her to her feet. Hermione wreathed her arms around his neck as he pulled her flush against his body. "Oh Granger, there's no way you'll ever want to quit me, but if you need a reminder..." Draco's mouth descended upon her throat as his hand slid under her skirt to rub her through silk knickers. "I'll have you pleading for more."

* * *

**To those of you accustomed to my quick updates, I apologize for the short wait. I was out of town for the week. I'm back though and I'll try to get back to posting every other day. **

**Thank you again for your reviews. ^^**


	22. Meeting the Malfoys

"I can do this. I can do this," Hermione chanted to herself as she approached the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron. She'd faced Harry and Ron. She'd faced the school. She'd even faced her parents. Surely, she could face Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. "I can't do this," she said as she back-pedaled. The world was one thing; Draco's parents were another.

"Is it really that bad?" Hermione's mother asked, placing a supportive hand on her daughter's shoulder. Hermione had already forgotten that her parents were there with her. She assured them that she could enter the tavern on her own, but they still insisted upon escorting her in. "I thought it was usually the boy that panicked over meeting the parents," she said with a small smile.

Hermione turned and looked at her father who still stood with his arms crossed. It seemed to her that in the past two days, he only uncrossed them to eat or drive. He was not pleased when he discovered that his daughter was dating the boy that had taunted her throughout the years and was even less pleased that she decided to dedicate one day of her short holiday with him. In his eyes, the boy was a bully, a cruel boy that had broken his daughter's heart several times already. He wasn't good enough for her, and he couldn't understand what had gotten into her that she would forget such a thing.

_"She said he's changed, Patrick." Hermione had overheard her mother talking with her father earlier. "And besides, I've yet to see a girl that hasn't at least once been attracted to a bad boy. She's a smart girl, you know; you should trust her judgment."_

_"Smart people still make bad decisions," he'd pointed out. And he was right. Hermione, though comfortable with her arrangement with Draco, still wasn't sure it was a wise move. _

_"And she'll have to decide for herself whether it's a good or bad decision. She's eighteen, she's going to date. It's very unlikely this will be her last boyfriend, either. We just have to be supportive. That's all I'm asking, all _she's_ asking."_

Never had she loved her mother more. No matter what crazy things happened in her life, her mother was always there.

"No, it's not that bad. I'm just nervous."

"That's normal," her mother assured her.

"They're not going to like me," she stated flatly.

"They'll love you. Who couldn't?"

_Them_, thought Hermione. They didn't know her and already disliked her on principle. Showing up in their home and taking lunch with them wasn't going to change that.

"You'll be fine, love. Do it for Draco."

Hermione nodded. She owed him, at least she felt she did. It was her fault that everyone found out and it was her friends that threatened him in the hallway. If it helped ease things for him at home, she could meet his parents.

"I'm ready," she said, steeling herself for the short journey. Hermione stepped forward, took a pinch of floo powder from the bag hanging on the mantel, and tossed it into the flames. With a small nervous smile, she waved to her parents and stepped into the fire. The green flames licked up to her waist as she clearly spoke the words, "Malfoy Manor."

* * *

"Nervousness can be a sign of weakness," Lucius Malfoy scolded as he entered the traveling room near the entrance of their grand family manor. "Stop pacing, Draco."

Draco stopped in his tracks and straightened. Placing his hands behind his back, he stood proudly before his father. "It can also be a sign of anticipation."

"Again, I say 'a weakness'. Those holding great anticipation are often times disappointed. Are you sure your Miss Granger will be meeting us today?"

Draco's jaw clenched. "She's nothing if not reliable."

"Then let us hope she's at least that."

"She's a kind person, father. I hope that you will give her a chance and credit where credit is due."

"Many people are kind, Draco, but how many are sincere in it?"

Not him. Not his father, Draco thought. Lucius presented himself kind and gracious to many people, but Draco had only even seen him sincere toward his mother.

"She's sincere, and I hope that she can count on her hosts to be so as well."

"We shall see."

Green flames blazed to life in the grate of the large fireplace and suddenly in their midst stood a petite girl of eighteen, looking as proud and confident as she could muster. She stepped out of the fireplace and dusted her violet robes with her hands. Knowing his father would disapprove of the manner, Draco quickly cast a cleaning charm over her.

"Oh... thank you," she blushed.

Draco nodded, still uncertain of what to say.

"Draco?" his father prompted.

"Yes. Father, I'd like to introduce Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my father, Lucius Malfoy."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy," Hermione greeted cordially.

"I'm sure," he said with a tight smile. "It's nice of you to join us. Lunch will be ready in a half hour's time. We'll be taking it in the garden, Draco. I expect you to be prompt."

"Yes, Father."

Mr. Malfoy nodded to Hermione in acknowledgement and exited the room.

"Merlin," Hermione said in a whisper as she leaned in toward Draco. "Is he _always_ like that?"

"He's displeased, remember, but yes, he's often quite stiff with others. He thinks it an air of propriety," Draco snickered.

"I thought you looked up to him," Hermione asked in confusion.

"Once," he admitted. "But, then I grew up and saw him for what he is."

"Which is?"

"Fake. He's played the part so long; I don't know if he remembers who he once was."

"Oh," was Hermione's stunned reply. It was sort of sad, in a way. "Is he like that toward you?"

"Not always, but far more as years pass. I'm not the little boy he used to play with. I'm the young man who needs instruction and direction," Draco mocked his father's stance.

"And I'm definitely not the direction he'd like you to take."

"No, but I enjoy your instruction far more than his," he assured her with a sly grin.

"Unless it comes to study," she chortled.

"Oh, I very much enjoy studying you, just not with you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So what are we supposed to do for the next half hour?"

"Twenty-six minutes," Draco corrected after consulting his watch. "The options are quite limited. I could give you a tour of the house or a tour of the gardens."

"It'd be far too improper to be curious about your bedroom, wouldn't it?"

"That will have to wait for school, Granger."

Hermione rolled her eyes again. "I didn't mean like that. I'm just curious where you spend your time when you're at home."

"I knew what you meant. And yes, it'd be too improper."

"Gardens, then? It's a nice day out."

"Gardens it is. One more thing I have to warn you about though... They expect us to be dating so we have to act it."

"Meaning...?"

Draco held out his arm to her and she laughed as she took it. Draco Malfoy had to play the gentleman.

* * *

Hermione's heart fluttered nervously in her chest as she and Draco made their way toward the wrought iron dining set and the two proud people already occupying two of the chairs. Draco took the carnation out of her hands and tucked it neatly behind her ear, whispering as they approached, "Relax the best you can, they're too proud to bite."

Hermione pinched her lips tight against the laugh that threatened to burst forth. It was ridiculous, the whole situation. She was terribly nervous, but when she stopped to think about it, it was simply surreal. She was pretending to date Draco Malfoy when she was simply having casual sex with him and now she was at his home having lunch with his parents. Could her life get any stranger?

"Hermione, this is my mother, Narcissa Malfoy. Mother, I'd like you to meet Hermione Granger."

"Pleasure," the woman replied, extending a delicate hand to shake. "I'd love to tell you that my son has told me all about you, but I fear that your relationship, past anything but an acquaintance, has only come to light quite recently."

"Erm, yes," Hermione answered uncertainly. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"He's told you much about us, then?"

"Well, some..." she answered vaguely. "It's not often that we speak of home."

"And just what do you speak then? From what I've heard of you, I can't imagine the two of you have much in common."

"That's because I haven't talked about her enough," Draco stepped in. "As you know, she's quite studious, the top of our class."

"You talk of academics then?"

"Yes," Hermione answered. "We enjoy studying together. Not many of my friends take it seriously, but Draco's very smart. It's a pleasure to revise with someone who actually knows the material."

"A poor choice in friends, I'd say," answered Lucius.

Hermione bit her tongue.

"But, yes, I'm quite aware of my son's intelligence, as I'm too aware of yours. Still, I don't see what you might have in common besides that."

"She's brilliant, Father, in more ways than one," Draco declared. "It turns out, she's quite a strategist in Quidditch. Well, perhaps strategist isn't the right word."

"Then select the right one," Lucius suggested, lifting one of his brows as if challenging his son.

"Observant," Draco supplied. "In watching our games, she was able to spot the flaws in some of my teammates' maneuvers. Whether she realizes it or not, it just might mean the downfall of her fellow Gyffindors in the Quidditch cup."

"Perhaps not as smart as they say then."

Hermione had held back against Draco's good-natured taunt, but found it much harder to suppress the scowl behind her stoic mask.

"Brilliant," Draco claimed again.

"You have to admit, Lucius, that it's kind of her. It's not easy to assist another house," Narcissa cut in.

"Perhaps," he replied noncommittally.

"Go on, Miss Granger, tell us more about yourself."

Hermione blinked in surprise. Somehow, that quickly, the woman didn't seem as strongly opposed to her. Quidditch, she thought, how ridiculous it was that a sport could be serious enough to change one's personal opinion of another. Perhaps the woman thought it selfless of her, but in actuality, is wasn't planning that she and Draco did; it was merely idle chitchat.

"Well... I'm not exactly sure what to say about myself. I guess when others define me, I'm most often called a bookworm."

"Or the library queen," offered Draco, shrugging when she glared incredulously. "I wasn't the one who started it. Only what I've heard."

"Our Draco is a reader also, isn't he?" Narcissa smiled at Lucius. "Always reading around here anyway. Henrik Goddard is his favorite, I think. Have you read any of his books?"

"Most," Hermione affirmed. "I really appreciate his attention to detail. He paints with words as an artist would a brush. His garden imagery reminds me of Robert Frost."

"Robert Frost? He's a muggle poet, is he not?" Narcissa asked. It was apparent that she too was fond of reading.

"Yes, a favorite of my mother." Hermione nodded. "Are you familiar with his works?"

"Only his name, dear. I usually keep to wizard authors."

"Well, if you'd ever like to have a look, I'd be happy to lend you a book. If you're as enamored with your garden as I am, you might appreciate the romance of them."

"And Draco reads these books as well?" Lucius asked curiously.

"Merlin, no," Hermione laughed, forgetting herself for a moment then composing herself quickly. "Draco hates reading poetry."

"Rather sit on a porcupine," Draco muttered. Hermione chuckled again.

"You enjoy my garden then?" Narcissa asked, ignoring the two males. Draco was pleased with the change of topic and smiled proudly at Hermione. The girl had picked up on his mother's fondness for her garden. The smart girl picked her topics well.

"It's beautiful," Hermione answered honestly. "I can't believe that you're able to have so many full blooms already this spring. And the statues around here... It's like walking through an art gallery. They're so well preserved."

"Magic," Lucius explained as though to a child. "Some of these statues have been around since the fifteenth century. And by 'been around' I mean _here_."

"Yes, of course." Hermione nodded. An awkward silence fell upon the group as they continued their meal, a silence filled with judging looks. Hermione could no longer stand it. "The food is delicious, Mrs. Malfoy. This torte is divine."

"Oh, I don't cook, dear," she replied with a smile of amusement. "The house-elves, do that, of course."

Draco's heart thudded in his chest and he sent Hermione a small warning look. The very last thing he needed was the self-righteous witch to go off on tangent about S.P.E.W. and house-elf rights. He was silently praying to whatever deities might hear his pleas that Hermione simply let the subject drop.

With a tight-lipped smile, Hermione replied with a simple, "My compliments to the chefs then."

Lucius's chin tipped upward as he looked down his nose at her. Like he would ever stop to pay compliments to house-elves. It was obvious to him that she was looking down on him. For his house-elves? What a preposterous response. As cultured as she had become in the Wizarding World, she apparently didn't understand enough to appreciate the servitude of the trained, domesticated creatures.

Narcissa, however, either didn't notice or didn't care about Hermione's stiff posture, and merely nodded. "Well, I do believe lunch is finished and I think I will make my return to the sitting room. Please feel free to continue enjoying my garden, Miss Granger."

"Thank you very much for your hospitality, Mrs. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy." Hermione nodded to each of them, but glared at Lucius despite her polite mask.

Hermione got to her feet, took Draco's arm for him to escort her, and practically dragged him into the depths of the garden.

"Merlin, I have to get out of here!" Hermione released his arm rubbed her face as if it might scrub away her frustration. "I thought you didn't have house-elves after Dobby."

"I never said anything like that. In fact, I try to steer clear of that topic whenever-"

"Well, it would have been a nice warning."

"Cool down, Granger, you did bloody fantastic."

"Don't you dare call me Granger after I did all that for you."

"It's a habit, Hermione. A hard one to break. It doesn't make me appreciate you any less."

Hermione looked up and met his eyes, warmed by his statement. He appreciated her and what she endured for him. It meant more than she anticipated hearing it from his lips.

"I tried, at least, right?"

"Don't judge your success on my father's reaction. He's difficult to please."

"I did alright then?"

"Better than."

Hermione blushed and averted her eyes. Remembering the carnation in her hair, she promptly removed it and began nervously twisting it between her fingers. "I should probably go. My dad already doesn't care for me being here. He's probably waiting in the Leaky Cauldron already."

"Your father doesn't like me either, then?"

"Not easy being judged, is it?"

"Never is."

Hermione knew that Draco's image was self-created, but still felt bad knowing that she was the only one who knew how kind and gentle he could be... when he wanted.

Draco and Hermione, much to their displeasure, paused at the entrance of the sitting room on their way to the traveling room.

"Hermione's leaving now," Draco announced.

"Very well," Lucius answered.

"Thank you again for having me," Hermione said as graciously as she could.

"You are welcome," Narcissa replied. "Safe travels."

"Thank you."

Anxious to leave his parents' presence, Draco quickly ushered her away.

"Finally," Lucius said when he was sure they were out of earshot.

"Remember, Lucius, you insisted she join us," Narcissa reminded him.

"That doesn't make it any easier to tolerate her."

"Was it really that bad?"

"A nightmare," he affirmed.

"I meant the girl."

"Irrelevant. It was still a nightmare just having her in our home."

"Still, I don't think she's as bad as we expected her to be. You have to admit she has charm."

"As charming as a house-elf, perhaps." Lucius's lip curled in disgust.

"You can't judge her charm by her status. The other friends Draco's chosen, despite their good blood, are far less than appealing. That Crabbe and Goyle, for example - a shameful pox on the image of purebloods everywhere."

"Perhaps, but still of good blood."

"Really though, Lucius, honestly, for a muggle-born, Draco could have done much worse."

"How can you defend this situation, Narcissa? How can you accept-"

"I do not accept the situation graciously. You know that I don't."

"I still expect some sort of outrage from you. Our grandchildren, Narcissa! Imagine it! Half-blood grandchildren, could you possibly imagine it?"

"Dear gods, Lucius, are you marrying him off to her already? This is a fling, surely. The boy is discovering himself. He's sure to make mistakes."

"And if he does choose her? Or, another muggle-born?"

"He has to make his own choices."

"Dear gods, just don't let it be her."

"She's gone," Draco announced as he entered the room. Lucius examined him for any sign that he might have heard a piece of their conversation. He was satisfied that he found none, but continued to look down upon his son.

"Lucius, if you would allow, I'd like a private word with our son."

Lucius considered his wife skeptically, but nodded his assent and excused himself from the room.

"Draco, come sit." Draco obeyed without question and joined his mother upon the settee. For a moment she simply considered him and turned toward him to better hold their conversation. "Are you serious about this girl?"

Draco swallowed hard. It was a difficult question, but he'd practiced his reply many times. "Yes."

"You truly believe her a good choice for you? For our family's name?"

"She's a good person, Mother."

Narcissa nodded as she pondered her next question. Her pause was longer then Draco could handle.

"Tell me honestly, Mother. What did you think of her?"

"It's irrelevant."

"Not to me," he pressed for her answer.

Narcissa sighed. "You could do worse. She seems... a nice girl. Intelligent and amiable, I suppose."

Draco couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. That his Granger was. Apparently more charming than he'd previously thought if his mother considered her so.

"And Father?"

Narcissa frowned. "You know your father deeply disapproves. He's displeased with you and that's putting it lightly."

"I know, but what did he think of her? Did she impress him in the least?"

"Your father will take far more time than this to persuade."

"But he might with time?" Draco asked curiously. It wasn't that he thought of Hermione as a girlfriend, but a proven friend. He was certain their friendship would remain, even when their sexual relations ended - an occurrence he did not wish to dwell on. Regardless of her though, he yearned for his father's approval of his personal choices. To accept Hermione meant his father trusted his judgment, something he'd hoped for since his youth.

"Do not force him, or he will surely stand firm. Be patient. Hatred so strong is hard to undo and cannot be undone overnight."

"And you?"

"I cannot say that I ever _hated_ muggles, nor even despised them, but I do believe they have their own place. You, however, seem to think Miss Granger's place is with you..."

Draco nodded.

"I'm not saying I think it wise, but..." Narcissa sighed again, this time with resignation. "I accept that you must make your own decisions."

She took in her fingers a strand of Draco's hair that seemed to have rebelled and smoothed it down with her motherly touch. "I'm your mother and I'll support you, Draco, in whatever you choose."

Draco's heart lifted. He couldn't ask for more.

* * *

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	23. True Feelings

"...and then it descended into utter chaos." Ginny went on, lying back on Hermione's bed. "As you can imagine, Mum was shouting loudest. Dad was silent, as usual, ready to slink out the back door. Harry would certainly have joined him, too. Lavender left almost immediately and Ron had to get the sex and respect talk from Mum and Dad again."

Hermione couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped. Ron and Lavender caught snogging in the garden... It was hilarious to imagine and she couldn't help the satisfaction she felt in his suffering, not after the way he'd treated Draco. He and Harry seemed to accept her and Draco a little better after the break, perhaps because of the time they had to think outside of school. Whatever the reason, it was nice not to have them scowling or looking so disappointed.

"What about you?" Ginny asked. "How was your holiday?"

"It was good for the most part. It will take my Dad a little longer to accept Draco, but I'm sure he will eventually. He'll want to meet him, of course, but I plan on putting that off as long as possible."

"How'd it go at his house?"

"It wasn't pleasant, but we got through."

"Is Lucius Malfoy the jerk he seems?"

"Yes. He was formally cordial and horribly rude at the same time."

Ginny nodded in understanding.

"Did you and Draco get to talk much?"

"No, not really. I sort of miss him, really," Hermione admitted quietly.

It was the truth and it was a bit scary. She hadn't written Harry or Ron at all, hadn't even thought of it. She hadn't written Draco either, but felt the uncomfortable urge to. She missed him more than she missed her other friends and it worried her. He was fast becoming her best friend and it was terrifying to put so much emotion in their still growing trust.

_Friends_, she thought with a pang. It was her greatest fear and she believed it might be happening - her feelings for him might be growing past friendship. Her desire to just sit and talk with him was as great as her desire for his kisses and intimate touch. It was a friendship, it was sex, and it was causing her to become confused.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, sitting up in bed and studying the crease in Hermione's brow.

"I think I might be falling for him," she confided, overcome by the feeling and on the verge of tears.

Ginny laughed aloud. "Just starting now?"

"It's different than before... It was more casual before. We liked each other and... I feel out of control now. It really feels like falling."

"That's what he's supposed to be there for, to fall with you. It's not as scary when you've got the person you like to like you in return. Believe me. I was pining for Harry for years before he even noticed me. It's incredible to fall together, like soaring."

"But, I'm not sure he feels the same... In fact, I doubt it." Hermione's face scrunched with the agony she felt in the admission. Ginny didn't understand and she couldn't possibly explain it properly.

"Oh, Hermione, whatever gives you that idea?"

"It... He just..."

"He what?"

"I don't know that he actually believes in true, genuine love. Care, appreciation, tenderness... but love?"

"No, Hermione. You're wrong. I can see it so plainly, as can many people talking about it... He's enamored with you. Did you hear why he stood up to Blaise? He was defending you. He's absolutely hooked on you."

Hooked, yes. He'd said it before and she saw it quite clearly, but not in the way that Ginny suspected. He was hooked on their experiences together. He was kind, he was caring and gentle, but he was in a possessive way. He wanted her. He made it clear long before their friendship began. He wanted her, but he wanted to remain detached. She, however, was ruining it. She was ruining it by desiring more. Desiring what she couldn't have, the indefinable and unprovable love of Draco Malfoy.

* * *

_"I don't know how you could have let it come to this, Draco," Lucius scolded his son. "It disgusts me."_

_"I understand, Father," Draco said, his eyes upon the floor in front of him, chastised by his father's disapproval. _

_"Do you? Do you understand what you're doing by being involved with this... this... mudblood?! Generations! Dozens of generations that led to this point in time have stayed true to their heritage, leading to your birth and status in life."_

_Draco nodded in understanding._

_"And yet still you allow this! A muggle-born witch to break hundreds of years of purity!"_

_"She's..."_

_"She's using you. Surely, she must be. She's nothing if not intelligent and anyone can see her ambition. Have you ever considered that she might use you to achieve-"_

_"She's not like that," Draco interrupted, looking his father in the eye for the first time in years._

_Lucius Malfoy drew himself to his full height, infuriated by his son's defiance. "You will not dare to interrupt me again!"_

_Draco nodded submissively, but continued. "She's independent. She works hard for her ambitions."_

_"Great ambition is not without assistance. You were born with influence, our name more powerful than any other in Wizarding England. Can you be stupid enough to believe her genuinely interested in someone like you without ulterior motives?"_

_"She's not like that," Draco repeated._

_"I don't care to find out. You will end this immediately, do you hear me?"_

_"I can't. I won't," Draco quietly defied him._

_"Dear gods, Draco if you tell me that girl is pregnant-"_

_Draco's eyes widened in alarm. "No!"_

_"Are you certain? Are you certain that-"_

_"I promise you, Father, she's not pregnant. I'd never-"_

_"You will not interrupt me again!"_

_Draco's lips clamped shut, but when his father did not speak again, he dared to continue. "I know that you do not like her father, but it bothers me that it's simply because of her blood status. I believed that you accepted muggle-borns' place in the wizarding community."_

_"In society, not in my home! Muggle-borns are necessary to the economy, to tend shops and work beneath us, so that pure-bloods can properly rule over them. They have no place in higher society!"_

_"You're wrong, Father." Draco's voice was barely audible and he half-hoped that his father had not heard him._

_Lucius drew tall again and Draco actually feared he might lash out._

_"I'm never wrong. Malfoys are never wrong!"_

_"I'm a Malfoy, Father, and I'm not wrong. Hermione is as good as any pureblood and even greater than some. She'll go far with or without anyone's assistance. One would be a fool not to see that." Draco swallowed hard, ready for a blow and surprised when his father swept furiously from the room without delivering one._

"You stupid fuck," Draco cursed himself as he paced his dorm. He had challenged his father. He had told him he was wrong. No one crossed Lucius Malfoy, not ever, and no one knew it better than Draco. It was a mistake if ever he made one. He was stupid and foolish. Good gods, he called his father a fool!

And for what? For sex? For some stupid mudblood? A ludicrous obsession? Draco's heart ached as he thought such things about her. She was so much more than that and enough to stand up for, even against his father. But still what? It started out as a game and some fantasies, encouraged by a seemingly harmless book. It was a new game now, one that toyed with his thoughts and emotions. He closed his eyes and imagined her in his head.

She was a friend. The dearest friend he had ever known. She stood by him at the worst of times, _these_ times, encouraging him when he felt his world falling apart. She would be there for him now if he let her. If he went to her now, she would stroke his hair and assure him that all would be well, that everything would work out in time. But she'd be wrong. His world was burning, his father's fury blazing at the forefront of his mind.

Sex. Desire. Obsession. It couldn't be enough. That could never be enough to justify what he did. What was she? What was she that she could do this to him? He feared the truth and denied it. She meant more to him than anything else in his life. Anything he held dear, he'd give it up for her.

No, he wouldn't, he decided. He couldn't allow himself to put so much trust in one person. He couldn't make himself that vulnerable. But he already had... A woman, one woman, that's all she was!

Visions of future dates floated through his mind: a drink at the Three Broomsticks, dinner at a fine restaurant, sex beneath the stars. They were desires he should never have. It was a farce. Their intimate, dating relationship was a concocted lie to keep up appearances, to save her from humiliation and a scandalous reputation. Nothing more. He and Hermione had decided long ago that things would be casual, no romance involved. Yet he pined for her. He longed for her in ways he never thought possible. He wanted her near. He needed nothing else. He just wanted her near.

Perhaps the indefinable was becoming clear. Perhaps he could admit what he was unable to prove. But would he? Could he? He wanted to run... and so he did.

* * *

**Bad way to end a chapter, but there it is. Also, the next chapter is the last. It seems sudden, I know, but I think it wraps up well. **

**Thank you SO much for all of the reviews.**


	24. Heart's Desire

_Please, Draco,_ her letter pleaded. _It hurts that you're avoiding me this way again. What happened after I left your house? Whatever it is, I promise to understand. I promise to respect any distance you want if you'll only please talk to me._

There were tear stains on the parchment and Draco's heart clenched. He'd read it a dozen times and it hurt no less than the first. Though he tried hard to avoid her gaze, he did not miss the pained expression with which she regarded him, nor the furious look of her friends. They were dying to have at him, but he knew he was under Hermione's protection. She would never allow them to harm him. She would save him from any harm that she could. The best friend he'd ever known.

"Draco, I hate to say it," Pansy said grudgingly, "but you have to talk to her."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play stupid, Draco; it doesn't look good on you. I've had it with you and your miserable brooding. Whatever the hell your problem is with Granger, fix it."

"Shove off, Pansy."

"However you fucked things up-"

"Me?!" he raged.

"Fine, _her_," Pansy amended in hiss as she glanced around to find people staring. "You've gone bloody soft, anyone can see that. Is it really so damn hard to put whatever it is behind you?"

"It's my father," he muttered. "He's forbidden me."

"Is that all?" she said incredulously. "Seriously? I've said it before and I'll say it again, your father's a jerk and if you can't make up your own fuckin' mind-"

"You don't know anything about it," he growled.

"It's not your father then?"

"Leave it."

"You're scared." Pansy stared in surprise and disbelief. It was inconceivable to her. "This is real, really real, and you're scared."

"Fuck you, Parkinson! Stay out of my bloody business." Leaving his breakfast unfinished, Draco abandoned Pansy alone at the table. Left there, she pondered her friend and his predicament. Whether he realized how deep it was, she didn't know, but he had found love with Hermione Granger.

* * *

"And that concludes this meeting," Hermione finished lamely. "You can check the bulletin board later this week for the date of the next meeting."

Ernie's eyebrows rose. Hermione had never dismissed a meeting without a future date, nor had she finished one so quickly. She had simply touched on the basics, obviously not wanting to attend business any more than the other prefects.

"Malfoy didn't show," he stated as the prefects filed out of the room.

"I noticed," she replied quietly.

"Prefects meeting are mandatory. I think a detention is in order, don't you?" As strange as it seemed, he was hoping the offer would cheer her up. It was no secret that Draco Malfoy had broken her heart and the school stood behind her.

"No... just let him-"

"We've gotta talk, Granger," Pansy snarled. It was only then that Hermione realized the girl had not yet left the room. It appeared that Ernie hadn't noticed either.

"Parkinson, I doubt that-" Ernie started.

"I didn't say a thing to you. Get lost."

"That's no way to speak to the Head Boy." Ernie looked quite offended and crossed his arms with authority. "If you have a prefect's matter to discuss you may discuss it with m-"

"Sod off you pompous prick." Snagging Hermione by the cuff of her robes, she pulled the Head Girl aside.

"I... You can't-!" Ernie started angrily.

"It's fine, Ernie," Hermione told him. Ernie eyed her skeptically, but conceded. He'd wait outside just in case.

"Listen, Draco doesn't want to talk to you," Pansy spat.

"Thank you, Parkinson, I sort of gathered that." Hermione looked down, unable to shake the misery she'd felt for days.

"But he has to," she insisted.

"I can't force him. If-"

"Of course you can. He's being a right ass, but that doesn't mean he's unreachable."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, you're not trying hard enough."

Hermione's eyes narrowed and her jaw set with anger. What right did this girl have to accuse her? "How do you know-?"

"Because you haven't succeeded."

"He doesn't want to speak to me. I don't want to force him if it will only upset him more."

"Gods, you two are pathetic. He's fucking miserable, Granger, there's no possible way he could feel worse."

"Why though? He won't tell me why."

"Which is why you have to talk to him."

Hermione studied the girl in front of her from her angry brow and pug nose to her set jaw and clenched fists. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I don't like you," Pansy openly admitted. "But he's my friend and he hasn't been happy since you guys broke up."

"We didn't break up." They'd have to be properly together in order to break up.

"Since he clammed up then. The point is, if you care about him at all, you won't let him do this to himself."

Hermione's worry increased. She'd been concerned about him for days, but she never knew how deep his pain ran. His father must have really scarred him.

"Okay," Hermione answered quietly. "I'll force him to talk."

"You better believe you will. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Draco tapped is foot impatiently as he waited outside the prefects' lounge. Pansy was late. She was angry with him, he knew, but it wasn't like her to be late for patrol. She wouldn't shirk her responsibility just because he missed the prefects' meeting, would she? He was just turning toward the stairs when a familiar outline appeared at the end of the corridor and started toward him.

Hermione.

Her steps were hesitant, but she never faltered. There she stood before him and still he had no words for her.

"I'm patrolling with you tonight," she explained. "Pansy asked that I swap patrols with her. Insisted, really."

Of course she did. The damn bitch was meddling, always meddling. It should not have surprised him, but it did and he was irked by her persistence. It seemed that perhaps Hermione was also.

"Come on then," he responded. Draco turned on the spot and started down the corridor with long quick strides. Hermione jogged to catch up and even took the stairs two at a time. Even then, he was ahead of her.

"Draco, wait," she ordered. When he made no move to pause, Hermione called out again, her voice a desperate plea. "Draco, stop!"

Oh how it hurt. The sound of her voice. It was time for them to talk, the talk she'd been begging for and that he'd been dreading. Resigning to the inevitable, he stopped and faced her. Hermione stopped where she stood, several paces away from him, and waited for an angry retort. That was all he was lately, angry and brooding.

When she didn't receive a reply, she tentatively spoke again. "I'm sorry."

His eyes narrowed. "You haven't done anything."

"No, but you're obviously upset... Is it me? Is it your father?"

His father. He growled at the thought. He'd told his father off, stood up for the girl in front of him because she deserved better than the words he had for her. Yet here he stood, treating her just as badly. And why?

His volatile steps toward her caused her breathing to stop and she instinctively took a step backward. It only caused him more pain.

"It's me, Hermione," he answered honestly. It was all him. He'd been running from her, hiding from her, avoiding her and he finally revealed the truth. "I want you." And badly, he thought. It was the frightening truth that haunted his every thought. He wanted her more than everything else. He knew that if she asked, he would give up everything for her, so he couldn't let her ask, not a thing. He couldn't reveal the depths of his feeling for her.

Hermione stared at him in utter confusion. "Y-you want-?"

"I want you," he repeated. He resigned to the force of his desperation and pushed her against the wall, his lips instantly on hers. Hermione was overwhelmed by his ferocity and the sudden change in his attitude. She didn't understand. He'd been avoiding her when all he wanted was to have her?

If that was all he wanted, she'd submit to being just that. It was what she was from the start - his obsessive desire. She knew she wanted more, so much more, but she would take whatever he had to offer. If that was merely sex, then she would offer it willingly.

Hermione's heated kisses matched his in intensity. When he palmed her breasts, she pushed them against his hands. When he lifted her leg and ground against her, she hooked her leg around his waist and pressed against him. If it was what he needed, she would give herself to him, all of her.

Remembering their place in the corridor, she paused just enough to murmur against his lips, "not here."

Taking hold of her wrist, Draco returned to his previous upward path through the castle, this time with purpose. At first he was practically dragging her behind him, but Hermione hurried to keep up. As she matched his pace, he sped up and she with him. He glanced behind him to find her smiling and smirked in return. It was just as it once was, excitement and lust leading them both.

Draco released her as they paused beside the empty wall and the tapestry that faced it. Pacing quickly three times, a door revealed itself to Draco and Hermione rushed in behind him. Their room was as it was at it always was, complete with romantic fireplace in the corner. Draco had always disliked the romantic piece, so why was it there? Hermione's confusion only lasted a half second. She had no time to concern herself with such questions.

In an instant, they both had their hands upon their shirts, undoing their buttons as quickly as they could. Hermione was faster and when Draco dropped his on the floor, Hermione had already removed her skirt and her fingers were working to unfasten her bra.

Draco's heart raced and he hurried to stay her hands. He wasn't ready yet for her to remove it. That honor he wanted for himself. Hermione stared up into his expressive grey eyes and paused. They were overflowing with emotion and lust, but his hands when they touched her again were soft and slow. As quick as that, his frantic pace switched to tenderness. He would proceed as he liked it best, slow and meant to last.

As strange as it was, it worried her. He wanted it to last, to savor the moment. Was it meant to be their last? After days of restraint, was this meant to be his way of letting her go?

Draco guided her to the bed and laid her down. Climbing between her legs, he met her eyes again before treating her to open mouth kisses down the column of her neck. He traced the line of her bra with his finger before reaching behind her back and undoing the clasp. Hermione trembled beneath him and his heated gaze, as though it was their first time again and, in the same way, he looked upon her as though he'd never seen her before.

With the most tenderness she'd ever seen, he planted reverent kisses upon her breasts and very gently suckled her nipples.

"Draco," she breathed. It was just like a dream, only real. So real.

Draco's hand moved softly up and down her sides, massaging her stomach with his thumbs as he moved. His lips alighted on her belly and that was when Hermione realized it. His attentions were deeper than ever before. It wasn't like their normal routine; he was worshipping her, taking in every inch. He never wanted to forget this moment... and neither did she. She needed him so badly that it hurt. She felt her eyes prickle with unshed tears and suppressed them. She needed to live in this moment, not the future.

Draco's slow pursuit took him all the way down to her toes and back up her legs to pause at the inside of her thigh where he breathed her in. With utmost care, he slid her panties down her legs. There she laid, bare before him.

And, she felt bare. In her anticipation, she feared she was revealing far more than she should. She desired far more than just sex. She wanted him. All of him. Could he see that?

"Never in my life, Hermione, have I wanted anything more than I want you," he confessed in a whisper. A delicate kiss was placed upon her mound before he climbed back up her body, and pressed himself against her entrance. With precision and a steady hand, Draco guided himself into her, burying himself to the hilt in her depths. Hermione rose to meet him and each slow thrust that followed.

It was beautiful, she thought. This act between them, no matter how unhealthy to her heart, was a thing of sensual beauty. She wanted it to last, but all too soon she felt the intense building sensations ready to break. With a cry of his name and his essence flowing into her, she fell over the edge, her body rocked by the spasms of her orgasm. And then she fell even harder.

Overwhelmed by the entire situation, tears began to stream from her eyes, landing on the pillow on each side of her head. Draco was alarmed, his heart pounding hard in his chest.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" he asked with great concern. Horrified, he stroked her face, attempting to sooth away any pain he caused her. Hermione grabbed the sheet from her waist and pulled it up to her chin - security when she felt so exposed. The sheet, however, could not hide her insecurities.

She shook her head in reply, her lips sealed in effort to quiet the whimper that escaped. It did not go unheard.

"What's wrong? Hermione, you have to talk to me. Oh gods, if I hurt you..."

"This was goodbye, wasn't it?"

"What?" Draco was breathless when he spoke. Though he thought it impossible, his heart quickened even more. He'd never heard such terrifying words in all his life. "Why?"

"Because you can't let yourself want me anymore... You're giving me up."

"No," he insisted. "I could never give you up."

"But you-"

"I'm scared," he confessed. "I'm a coward. This isn't goodbye, Hermione. I'm giving up the other way. I'm giving in."

"I don't understand..." She thought that she might, but she feared to hope.

"I didn't want this... not at the start." He stopped and stared down at her continued tears, wiping one away with the back of his finger. "I found what was missing in our game. I told you once that it was indefinable, but I don't think it is anymore."

"You don't mean..."

"It's standing up for and standing beside a person that means far more than yourself. It's caring every second of every day no matter how you try to stop... Tell me, Hermione. Tell me that you love me."

In his eyes she saw nothing but the vulnerability and fear, fear that she might not be able to give him the answer he needed. Her tears increased as she nodded her head, admitting with shame that she allowed herself to find such feelings when those feelings were forbidden. "I do."

"I'm not good at this and I don't know that I'll ever be, but I'll stand by you if you let me."

"You are good at it, Draco. I know that you care. Love's not as hard to prove as you think."

"Then how do I?"

"You already have. I mean... You did it for me, didn't you? Kept up appearances. I know you now. You couldn't care less what people think of you. You risked what reputation you had to save mine."

Draco nodded solemnly. "I couldn't let them think less of you."

Draco wiped a tear from her eye and she wiped away the other. "I love you for it. I do."

"It scares me," he confessed in a whisper and placed a kiss upon her temple, "but I know I love you too."

"This isn't a game then, is it? This is real. We're real."

"Yes."

"Is it really what you want?" she worried.

"I couldn't give you up if I wanted to. What I need to know... I know I'm not easy to be with. Is it really what _you_ want?"

"I'm not easy to be with either."

"I'd follow you anywhere, Granger."

"Hermione," she corrected with a smile.

Draco wore a small smirk as he twirled her hair around one finger. "I told you before, _Hermione_, there's only one thing I want: you."

* * *

**So we changed our minds - the story does not wrap up well enough. In a couple days, I will be posting an epilogue. ^^**

**We hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let us know.**


	25. Epilogue

_Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods,_ Hermione's mind repeated relentlessly as she walked swiftly through the halls of the Ministry of Magic. Many people gave her questioning glances as she sped by them nearly at a jog. Her only response was a tight smile and the occasional nod. She had no time to waste. Merlin, she'd never made such a mistake in her life. The secret she swore she'd never reveal had somehow slipped free. Draco needed to be warned and immediately, for she knew that Ginny, the whirlwind she was, would seek him out.

"Thought I'd never figure it out?! Thought you'd get away with it, did you?!" Ginny's voice echoed through the halls.

Good Godric, Hermione was too late.

"I don't know what the hell you're on about Weasley, but you put me down this second or I'll..."

"Don't know what I'm talking about?!" Ginny interrupted Draco in a rage.

_Almost there,_ Hermione thought, turning the final corner.

"Think back, Malfoy. Two years ago. I swore I'd find out who it was!"

"Oh, fuck... Hermione?!" he bellowed, knowing she must be near.

Hermione gasped and paused when she arrived on the scene. Her way was blocked by a large crowd of onlookers. It seemed the entire staff of the International Magical Cooperation department was there and watching with rapt attention. There at the center, pinned against the wall with his feet a good twelve inches off the ground, was Draco. Ginny stood to the side with her wand trained directly at his chest.

"I'm here!" Hermione called out, trying to shove through the crowd.

"Look, Weasley, I'm sorry, but is this really the place to-?"

"Oh, this is the perfect place to," Ginny affirmed against his hopes.

"Ginny, stop. Please," Hermione begged, nearly at the front of the crowd.

"Thought it was so funny, did you? Vanishing girls' knickers, you pervert?!"

"I was a kid," Draco reminded her in his defense. "It was just for kicks. I was a stupid-"

"I don't care how old you were; you humiliated me and dozens of other girls! It was sick!"

"It was ages ago, now don't you think we could-?"

"Utterly humiliating! And what you did to me _personally_? Let's see how you like it!" With a swish of her wand, Ginny unfastened the front of Draco's robes to reveal his white silk boxers and cotton undershirt.

"WEASLEY!" Draco shrieked. He wished he could retaliate, or at least cover himself, but his arms were still pinned to his sides.

"Ginny, please. I agree you have every right to be angry, but-"

Before Hermione could finish her plea, Ginny flicked her wand again, vanishing his boxers and exposing him to the many spectators, all of whom burst out in laughter. Hermione answered the spell with a quick one of her own, moving a potted plant in front of him to block his privates from view. She'd later think it a smarter move to refasten his robes, but in her frenzied state, blocking the view was the only thing that came to mind.

"Weasley!" Draco threatened.

"Ginny, he's had enough!" Hermione insisted as she tugged on her friend's arm. "Return his pants. We're not children anymore. You can't-"

"Snape!" Ginny reminded them both. "He made me fall in love with that slimy, disgusting, vile-"

Each insult was punctuated with the disappearance of another article of clothing - his tie, then his white undershirt, and followed finally by his long black robe. As the robe vanished, a tiny box fell to the ground. Ginny's jaw dropped, but it seemed to go unnoticed by Hermione who moved to stand in front of him, blocking him more from view. Ginny dove forward and scooped up the black velvet clamshell box.

"What was that?" Hermione raged. "Whatever it is, you return it with his things this instant, Ginny Weasley, or I swear retribution on you as well! You've had your revenge and it was far worse than he deserved. We're adults now and he works here. What you've-"

Ginny stopped listening to the scolding and simply stared at Hermione's open hand, which beckoned for the item Ginny held behind her back and the many articles of clothing that only Ginny could conjure back into existence.

"Well?!" Hermione demanded. Ginny nodded dumbly and returned the clothing with a swish of her wand and a quietly muttered spell.

"And what's behind your back," Hermione ordered.

Behind Hermione's back, Draco violently shook his head and Ginny copied the movement.

"Ginevra Weasley," Hermione insisted. Ginny released the spell that held Draco to the wall and he rushed forth to grab the clothing from Hermione. Without hesitation, he slipped his arms into his robe and fastened it, forgetting the rest for the moment.

Draco's eyes met Ginny's and Ginny passed him the box. Quick as a flash, the box and its contents were safely in his pocket. Unfortunately, the pass was impossible for Hermione to miss.

"W-What was that?"

Draco glared at a guilty looking Ginny and sighed deeply. There was no avoiding it if she already suspected.

"It was meant for this evening," he admitted quietly. Scanning the crowd with a scowl, he silently dared any person there to interrupt him and gently took Hermione's hand.

"Draco... I..." Hermione swallowed hard.

"Don't talk, Granger, just listen," he said in a low voice. "It's not always been easy for us, but it's been nice... better than nice. You know how I feel about you; that... that I love you." He muttered the admission so that it was more difficult for the crowd to hear. As easy as it was to love her, it wasn't easy to speak about it, and he never before dared to do so in front of others.

"It's taken time for people to accept us and still there are some who do not..." Draco's mind brought forth an image of his father. His relationship with Hermione was still one that his father despised, but a truth that he was being forced to accept. Draco hoped that eventually his father might come to accept Hermione as graciously as his mother had, but he knew that it would take years to achieve. It was an achievement that the two men spoke without hostility and that Draco was once again allowed to visit his family's home. He considered it a small victory.

Hermione's friends were much easier to convince, which surprised Draco greatly. In the years since Hogwarts, Draco, Ron, and Harry had managed to form a sort of acceptance of each other. It was not a situation that any of them would call friendship, but they were able to make it through dinners and holidays without aggression. It meant more to Hermione than they could ever understand.

"No one's ever meant more to me than you, and you know I'll gladly give you anything your heart desires. I hope then, that you accept this offer from me..." Draco dropped to one knee and opened the black velvet box to reveal a large white diamond, arranged in a platinum band. "I want us to spend the rest of our days together... I want you to marry me."

Tears gathered in Hermione's eyes and she pinched her lips together, unable to find the words to match the excitement that pounded in her heart. She nodded vigorously and one word slipped free. "Yes."

"Yes?" he asked with a mixture of anxiety and hope.

"Yes." Hermione beamed, pulling him off the floor to kiss him passionately. Draco enclosed her in his arms and fervently returned the kiss to a collective "aww" from the crowd.

Draco turned to glare at them, but Hermione cupped his face to return his gaze to her.

"Mind no one, Draco. It's just you and me."

"Always, Hermione. You and me." With that, he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was official: she'd be his forever.

* * *

**Sort of a light and silly end after the seriousness of the last chapter, but we felt Ginny needed her revenge. The story wasn't complete until she had it. So tell me, lovely readers, what did you think?**


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